The Destiny of Perseus Jackson
by TheRoman987
Summary: An explosion in Camp Half-Blood rips the Athena Cabin apart, and does the same to Percy after he discovers Annabeth died in the blast. But life continues, leaving Percy as a figure consumed with grief and a reputation of getting into fights. One goes too far, and ends with him as Hades' slave. Can a silver goddess pick up the pieces of what's left? Post HOO Pertemis.
1. Chapter 1

****A/N: So many of you asked for another Pertemis fanfic . . . so here it is. I've never seen one where Percy gets really messed up by Annabeth's death, so guess what?****

 ** **Warning: Percy will be somewhat (very) depressed in this first chapter. Things will get a bit worse before he gets to his love interest, whoever she is. This**** _ _ ** **may****__ ** **become a sister story to The Proctor of Judgment, which is why I made the first chapter the way it is.****

* * *

Chapter 1-

 _ _BOOM!__ An explosion rippled across camp, making the Poseidon Cabin shake while Percy rushed to the window. It took him a few seconds to comprehend what he was seeing: the Athena Cabin was gone. Debris was flying through the air, damaging a few other cabins. Annabeth was at Archery. . . . . right? He thought, already dreading the the results

The demigod ran out of the cabin and over to the crater that used to be the Athena Cabin, looking into the crater that marked the grave of who knows how many Athena campers. A glint of bronze on the edge of his sight caught Percy's attention as he looked around. It was a dagger, with a well-worn hilt and a familiar sheath lying nearby. Annabeth's

"Percy?" Connor called, "You okay?"

Connor ran up to my side, following my gaze until he spotted the dagger as well, "Oh, gods. I'm so sorry, Percy."

"She's gone." Percy's voice was hollow, lifeless and in shock. "She's gone. Annabeth's gone."

"Percy, it's gonna be okay, alright?" Connor patted him on the back, "Come on, Chiron's calling a meeting."

"She's gone."

"I know. Come with me, Percy." Connor grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the Big House. Percy's legs moved of their own accord while his eyes and mind were focused on the dagger.

"She's gone."

"Ah, Perseus and Connor. Please, sit." Chiron motioned to a pair of chairs when the two of them reached the Big House. The rest of the people present looked at the son of Poseidon with pity, but he was too numb to even feel it.

"This is an emergency meeting to find out what happened to the Athena Cabin." Chiron announced, but most of the people around the ping-pong table weren't really paying attention, "It was a magical explosion, we know that much. It was not caused by Greek Fire or any mortal explosive."

"Declan." stated Perseus, his voice empty of emotion.

Clarisse nodded, "He's the only son of Hecate powerful enough to do this."

"But," Chiron cut in, "we have no evidence that is __was__ him. The death toll is currently nineteen children of Athena and a daughter of Aphrodite, Drew Tanaka. Hecate has no grudge against Athena, and if it was an attack on that particular daughter of Aphrodite, why would he destroy up the entire Athena Cabin?"

"Does it matter?" Clarisse countered, "We have twenty dead, and the only one powerful enough to cause that kind of magical explosion. Who, if you'd notice, is not here."

Then Mr. D flashed in, "Right, where is the brat? Zeus wants a villain, so I'm bringing him one. Clara, get Dennis."

Chiron coughed politely, "Clarisse and Declan, actually, but I beg you not to rule on Declan's innocence so early."

Clarisse glared at the centaur, "I have my orders, Chiron."

With that, Clarisse turned and strode out of the room, her third electric spear already in her hand. Chiron turned back to Mr. D, "Declan couldn't have done something like this! He fought in both the Titan and Giant Wars, and very valiantly, I might add. He has no motive to do this, and he had much better opportunities in the past!"

"It doesn't matter." The son of Poseidon's voice was hollow, but with an undercurrent of anger, "Declan was the only one who could've killed Anna . . . Annabeth."

His head fell into his hands, tears flowing into the. palms, "I'm not letting him go, Chiron. If the Olympians don't kill him, I will."

"Perseus, my boy, don't do this." Chiron pleaded, "Don't make a decision you will regret."

Percy gritted his teeth, forcing the tears back, "The only thing I'll regret is if I'm not the one to kill him."

Just then, Clarisse came back, shoving Declan in front of him. Chiron turned back to Dionysus, "I do not believe Declan would have done such a deplorable act!"

"Zeus' orders." Mr. D spat, "I'm taking this brat up to Olympus."

Chiron, defeated, turned to the son of Hecate, "Do not be afraid. We can prove your innocence."

Dionysus grabbed Declan's arm and flashed away. Percy sat slumped into the chair, staring listlessly into the green surface of the ping-pong table.

‡—XXXXX—‡

"Jackson, you'll have to get up sometime." Clarisse growled.

"My answer is the same as it was three hours ago." Percy replied, still looking at the table. "She's dead."

"Oh, boo-hoo, Jackson." Clarisse snarled, "You think you're the only one who lost someone today? I had friends in the Athena Cabin to. Close friends. But you don't see __me__ moping around."

"They weren't her."

"Oh, and that makes them unimportant?" demanded Clarisse, "You think that your girlfriend is the only life that mattered? Well, you're fucking __wrong__ , Jackson. You know who else mattered? Mal. Scott. Grayson. Philip. Taylor. Maybe they don't matter to you, High and Mighty Jackson, but they matter to __me__."

Percy still didn't move, then Clarisse screamed in rage and stabbed me with the blunt end of her spear. Electricity arced through his spasming body, sending it to the floor.

"What's your problem, la Rue?" Percy shouted, getting up, "You think you can just stab people when you're angry?"

"I can stab __you__ , Jackson." Clarisse yelled back.

The son of Poseidon balled his fists and sent a right hook to Clarisse's jaw. She stumbled back before raising her fists as well. They pummeled each other with our bare hands, taking out all thier anger and grief on one another. Percy's finger dislocated after a particularly hard punch to the daughter of Ares' ribs, but he kept going. An elbow slammed into the demigod's ribs, cracking at least one and sent him stumbling backwards. The daugther of Ares grabbed Percy by the shirt collar, lifting him up and throwing him into the table. As his staggered to his feet, Percy grabbed a chair and flung it at her. Clarisse's left arm broke with a __crack__ as the chair hit it, but she just grinned and lunged at the demigod.

Percy was body-slammed into the wall before Clarisse grabbed his shoulders and shoved the demigod into the table again. The son of Poseidon growled, swinging to his feet and grabbing Clarisse's arms before slamming his forehead into her nose. Blood exploded from it as broke, most of it landing on Percy's face before he threw her into the door. It broke under the force, sending her into the hall. The demigod lunged after her, ready for more when he heard a desperate voice.

"Stop!" Chiron ordered, "What have you done?"

Reluctantly, Percy stood back as he waited for to Clarisse get to her feet. She didn't, and the son of Poseidon joined her on the floor a few seconds later.

‡—XXXXX—‡

Percy's chest was a mass of bruises when he came around.

"Hey Chiron, he's awake!" Cameron called. Cameron was the head of the Nemesis Cabin, and was an old friend of Percy's from before the Titan War.

Chiron clip-clopped over, looking down at the young man with disapproval, "Why would you fight with Clarisse like that?"

"I was grieving. She was grieving. We helped each other." Percy replied, feeling alive for the first time since __she__ died, "Believe me, it helped."

"Perseus, my boy, you had over fifteen broken bones, and twice that cracked." Chiron replied, "There is bruising all over your body, and even internal bleeding. Whatever "help" she gave you, it came at a horrible price."

Percy's throat tightened, "Is Clarisse. . ."

"Dead?" Chiron shrugged, "That remains to be seen. Some of her nose went backwards into her skull, but she had fewer broken bones and less internal bleeding. She is currently in Apollo's palace, unconscious."

The son of Poseidon sighed in relief, "So I just have kitchen duty?"

Chiron nodded, "For the next three months. Along with Clarisse."

Percy nodded, and Chiron turned away before looking over his shoulder at the demigod, "Perseus, if you need help coping with Annabeth's death you can always come to me."

Like hell, Percy thought. He knew better than to get up and get what he wanted, instead turning to Cameron, "Can you get me a sheet of paper and a pencil?"

"Sure."

The son of Nemesis headed out, then returned a few minutes with a notebook and a few pencils, "Chiron told me you have to stay there for the rest of the day, at least. The night passed while you were unconscious, by the way."

"Thanks, Cameron." Percy took opened the notebook then sat back, thinking. Once he made up his mind, the demigod started writing,

 _ _Clarisse,__

 _ _Thank you. The fighting knocked some sense into me, and it feels like something's changed, Just fighting again kinda. . . woke me up, I guess.__

Growling unhappily, Percy tore that sheet of paper, and started a new page.

 _ _Clarisse,__

 _ _Thank you. The fight helped me get out of that mood. Ever since Annabeth's death, I felt empty and hollow-__

The demigod ripped that one up as well. He didn't want a replacement for Annabeth. He didn't want to make it sound like he wanted to become boyfriend to Clarisse. He just wanted to say thanks.

 _ _Clarisse,__

 _ _Get well soon, and thank you for everything.__

 _ _Percy Jackson__

Percy looked at the finished note with satisfaction, then folded it up and turned back to the notebook with nothing to do. So he started writing:

 _ _12/24/2015- Journal One?__

 _ _You know, I never thought I'd ever write in a journal. But hey, I'm stuck in a bed for the rest of the day, what else can I do? So I guess this is it. Yesterday, Annabeth died. I don't want to say she was the love of my life, but I think she was. When she died, I just stopped thinking and feeling, mostly. Should I put the date of her death in here? I mean, it's just a day before the date I put down at the top, right? Whatever: 12/23/2015. There we go. Now it's just a number. Shouldn't I feel, like, angry at her death? Sad? Empty? I've read something, somewhere, that says sad comes later. Shock comes first, and I think that's past now. So where am I? Lost?__

 _ _Whatever. The future is what matters, right?__

 _ _12/25/2015- Journal Two__

 _ _Clarisse's fine, by the way. Apparently fighting helped her, too. I got out of my bed, but I can't do anything "strenuous" for the next week. So guess what? I'm writing here again. Clarisse is still in bed, though. I got Annabeth's dagger from Travis, and Connor found her necklace, somehow. Hell, I thought it would be in Europe after that explosion. Anyways, they're both hanging on the wall. The pain is coming, too. Every time I look at the necklace, I just . . . . I just . . . . . ah, whatever. The future is what matters, right?__

 _ _12/28/2016- Journal Five__

 _ _Clarisse is conscious again, finally. We also served the first day of kitchen duty together. We didn't talk at all, only washing with silence. Then, after we were done, Clarisse took out her dagger and made a cut on her arm, about five inches."One inch for every one of my friends who died there." She said. If I did that, would Annabeth only be one inch? Would I make it two? Three inches?__

 _ _Gods, every time I look at that dagger, it hurts. Like homesickness, maybe. Like I'm expecting it to be on her waist, but it isn't. It'll never be. I can't understand how the necklace is in one piece, too. I mean, it was a big enough explosion to tear apart her body, but there weren't any parts near the dagger or necklace. So she must've taken it off, right? Whatever, the future is what matters, right?__

 _ _1/1/2016- Journal Eight__

 _ _Lucky number seven? Fuck that. I took apart Annabeth's necklace today, and strung her beads on my own. I guess I can remember her that way. But gods, it feels like I'm carrying the sky again. Those beads. . . . they feel like they're choking me. Like they want to kill me. For the explosion? It wasn't my fault, was it? It wasn't my fault, right, Annabeth? It wasn't my fault, Annabeth! It wasn't my fault! I swear, it wasn't my fault! Please, Annabeth, it wasn't my fault!__

 _ _Oh, gods, what am I writing here? What was this even supposed to be? My memoirs? The Great American Novel? Ah, fuck it all.__

"Hey, watcha writing?" Travis butted in, sitting down right next to Percy.

The son of Poseidon slammed the notebook shut, "Nothing. Just passing time. Basketball?"

"Sure. You hardly hang with us anymore."

Percy sighed, "It's been a rough what, week now? Can't believe it's only been a week."

"Hey, man, it'll get better." Travis replied, slapping his back, "Remember Silena, and how Connor and I got __her__ out of thar funk?"

"The Great Pie Incident, how could I forget?" chuckled the son of Poseidon, remembering how Travis and Connor -along with some of the Hephaestus Cabin- reprogrammed over a dozen automatons to fill pie crusts with whipped cream and throw them at Silena for a whole day. Once she got over the fact that her favorite outfit was ruined, she returned -mostly- to the world.

"Well, it worked." Travis grinned mischievously, giving Percy a _very_ bad feeling . . .

"Ah, son-of-a-" A pie shell filled with whipped cream hit Percy's face with a dead aim, filling his vision with sugar. Percy jumped to his feet, feeling another pie hit his shoulder and another hitting his rear. Connor and Travis were laughing up a storm as the son of Poseidon ducked and dodged randomly. The automatons, however, weren't missing. Pie after pie started turning the demigod's whole body white as he ran around wildly.

"Watch out! That's the-" Percy slammed into the side of a building, no doubt leaving the perfect picture of my body in whipped cream behind. He spun, running off in another direction. A branch caught his foot, then son of Poseidon face-planted into water. The whipped cream floated off of the demigod's body, letting him scrambled out of the water again like a wet -well, dry- dog.

The barrage of pies still followed the son of Poseidon, re-covering his body with white. Percy ran at Travis, cursing, then hid behind him as more pies flew.

"Hey, Percy!" Connor called. "Catch!"

Percy spun right in time for another pie to hit him full in the face. He turned to start running again, only to slam into an automaton, who promptly buried his head in the white stuff. Running in another random direction, the son of Poseidon promptly slammed into another camper.

"Gods, not this again!" screeched Lacy.

"Sorry!" yelled Percy -still blind- then ducked. A pie flew over his head, hitting the daughter of Aphrodite he ran into.

The next this the son of Poseidon ran into was the Big House. Or he thought it was the Big House, until something started to lick his face. __You taste good, boss! Like a sugar cube!__

"Really, Blackjack?" replied Percy, straightening himself. "Care to give me a ride?"

 _ _Hop on, boss!__ Feeling around, still blind, he climbed on the pegasus' back. Blackjack's wings beat on either side of the son of Poseidon until he was far out of range of the automatons, then -and only then- did Percy wipe whipped cream of his eyes.

"Thanks _ _."__ Percy looked down at the journal, which was covered in whipped cream but otherwise fine. The two of them were flying high over the ocean, Long Island only a few hundred meters behind them, "Mind if I get off here?"

Instead of replying, Blackjack did a barrel roll in midair, throwing the son of Poseidon off. "Thanks!"

Percy landed with a huge splash, sinking through the water as the whipped cream was washed off his body. All around him, fish swam about.A Great White came sniffing, swimming around me. The son of Poseidon reached out, brushing the shark's rough skin as it glided through the water.

"Guess it's time to go back, sharkie." commented Percy. He could almost hear Annabeth's reply, along the lines of: __Sharkie, Seaweed Brain? Really?__

"Or . . . I __could__ get some whipped-cream."

‡—XXXXX—‡

Percy crept into the Hermes Cabin, late at night and carrying two huge bowls of whipped-cream. Both bowls were bigger than the demigod's head, perfect for exacting his revenge.

Connor and Travis were sleeping near the door, on a bunk bed. Using a bit of trickery and mad parkouring skills, the son of Poseidon got onto the top bunk without either of them waking. As soon as Travis took a breath, Percy dropped the first upside-down bowl of the airy sugar on the son of Hermes' face before dropping to the floor and dumping the second on Connor. Then Percy beat a hasty retreat from the Hermes Cabin, dodging the patrol harpies as he made it back to the Poseidon Cabin.

Percy glanced around his cabin before his gaze settled on Annabeth's dagger. Hesitating, he pulled it -sheath and all- down from the wall. The son of Poseidon drew the razor-sharp blade, turning it over and over in his hand before pressing it to the skin of his forearm. Then he pressed down, the razor-sharp blade slicing easily through his skin until the cut was four inches. One inch for each year Percy was at Camp Half-Blood, before Annabeth died.

He pulled the blade away, feeling the blood run down his arm. Grabbing his journal and flipping to the right page, the son of Poseidon added a single line to his entry earlier today: __I'm sorry, Annabeth. I wish I could've saved you, but I couldn't.__

Reaching into his pocket, Percy took out Riptide and uncapped it. The blade grew in his hand, then he pressed the cap to the tip of the blade. It shrunk into a pen again, but with a sharp, Celestial Bronze point. Percy grabbed Annabeth's dagger, putting in on the ground while he held the pen above it. Then the pen came down, carving the first Greek letter into the Celestial Bronze blade.

When the son of Poseidon was done scratching the words into the blade, he held it up to his eyes:

Θάνατος- σήμανση Αγάπη _ _.__

Percy sheathed the dagger again before lying back in bed, his blood staining the sea-green sheets red.

 _ _1/3/2016- Journal Ten__

 _ _Clarisse saw the cut, of course. The first cut she made already healed over without a scar -after all, it's a pretty shallow wound. The necklace seems lighter today, like it was waiting for me to cut myself. Was it? Should I even be doing this__? __I'll start wearing the dagger, I guess.__

 _ _Connor and Travis got back at me, but now I don't have the spirit to fight another prank war. I think Chiron might've seen the scars, too, but he stayed silent. He should just be grateful I'm not spacing out anymore. Hell, I thought I'd be spaced-out forever those . . . ten days ago, now? Wow. The first week seemed so slow. The Second Great Pie Incident cheered me up for a few days, I guess. I like writing in this. I can't put my emotions in here, and I feel like I'm talking to someone. I guess I'm talking to myself, but this is a lot more not-insane. Should I ever stop writing in this? Maybe one day, I'll just give up.__

 _ _How about this? I'll stop writing when I fall in love again. Then this'll be the journal of my recovery. Or death.__

Percy looked up from the notebook at the dagger on the table. Sighing, he buckled it on before drawing it and cutting another eight-inch mark down his arm. Four parallel cuts now adorned the well-tanned skin, the first healing over while the second just was scabbing. The third was simply not bleeding anymore, while the fourth -of course- was still wet and red.

There was pounding on the door, "Percy? You in there?"

"Yeah." replied Percy, opening the door to reveal Connor and Travis, "What?"

"Come on, Percy! Capture the Flag tonight, didn't you hear?" Connor asked.

"I think so."

"Well, you're with us, Hephaestus, Hades, Apollo, and most of the minor god cabins." Travis said, "Now, let's talk strategy."

Percy shrugged, "Ares'll do their phalanx down the middle with most of their guys, right? So we put lines of traps here, here, and here. Have the archers and javelin-throwers on the Pile of Deer Droppings. I'll get some people good with a sword around here, see? Then have the Nemesis bunch guarding the flag. They're nasty. You guys lead the rest of them around here, past Bunker Nine."

‡—XXXXX—‡

The conch horn signaled the match starting, which made Percy turn to the two dozen swordsmen and women behind him, "Remember the plan? Good."

The heavy tramp of boots alerted the son of Poseidon to the Ares phalanx, which was breaking around trees,then headed across river with the same heavy stomping. They were all on Percy's side of the river when chaos exploded in their ranks. A dozen sonic arrowheads were rigged underground as the first line of traps.

"Charge!" yelled Percy, leading with Riptide raised as they slammed into the broken phalanx from the side. Shield-bashing an unfortunate Ares camper, the son of Neptune hit another in the helm with the flat of his blade before they re-organized, pivoting to face the swordsmen/women.

"Retreat!" Perct yelled again, sending the other swordsmen and women around him scrambling away. They scattered into the forest before re-grouping at certain tree _ _.__ Four of them didn't make it, presumably lost in the fighting, "Let's go!"

The plan, in essence, was to wear down the phalanx with hit-and-runs, buying time for Connor and Travis to take the vast majority of the Blue Team's guys into the Red Team's side of the forest and steal their flag. The phalanx came into sight again, having given up chasing Percy's quick, lightly-armored swordsmen and resumed their march. Three meters . . . two . . . one.

Greek fire exploded around the campers as they reached the second line of traps.

"Charge!" shouted Percy. They erupted out of the forest again, attacking the phalanx's rear as the Red Team scrambled in panic. This time, the swords-people had a little more of an advantage on thier side as we fought the phalanx, which still had something like seventy campers. That's almost all their guys, Percy realized. Then who's guarding the flag?

No one was, as it turned out. The conch blared in the middle of the battle with Connor walking up, holding the red flag in a triumphant grip. Blue Team cheered raucously while the phalanx groaned with equal intensity.

"Victory goes to blue team!" Chiron announced, trotting up.

Cheering, the rest of Blue Team lifted Connor and Travis to their shoulders and carried the twins back to the cabins.

 _ _1/5/2015- Journal Twelve__

 _ _It's really starting to hurt. Not just the cuts, either. The necklace is getting heavy again, and the dagger feels like a few tons. The burden of guilt? Was it my fault? Did I do something wrong? Why was her necklace not on her neck?__

 _ _We burned the shrouds today, all twenty of them. No one knew which body parts belonged to which person, so we just divided them up and burned them. I really didn't want to finish what Declan started, but I had to set her shroud alight anyways. Hades flashed in, saying that they all made Elysium. A small mercy, I guess. Nico offered to take me down to Elysium to see her, but I refused. I . . . I can't see her again. I know she's dead, and she needs to stay dead. I can't think about her. I should move past this, but it's only been, what, twelve days? What would it take to move past her? I don't want another girlfriend. Ever. But what if that's what it takes for the pain to stop? Or maybe I'll just get used to it? Do I even want to?__

 _ _1/24/2016- Journal Thirty-four__

 _ _It's been about a month since she died, and it hurts more than it did on #3 or #5. Why? Shouldn't it hurt less in time? Or should it grow, like as infection? Maybe one day, I'll just die. I think I'm slipping, too. I keep losing sparring matches against people I should be able to beat. I've been beating them for a long time before this, why couldn't I now? Clarisse and I got into another fistfight, and Chiron put us both on cabin-arrest for a week. Which means I'm writing in here. Joy of joys.__

 _ _My whole right arm feels weak. It is weak, actually, my left is stronger now. Should I stop? Why am I doing it in the first place? What if I end up crippling my arm because of this? Would it be worth it? I really think I loved Annabeth. Loved? You don't love her anymore? Fine, love, and now I'm talking to myself of paper. Just wonderful. Maybe I should start making cuts on my neck instead. Would I get into Elysium, even though I failed Annabeth?__

Perct closed the notebook, setting it on his nightstand before turning off the lights and curling up under the covers. The cleaning harpies kept changing them every night, thankfully. Sleeping in his own dried blood didn't seem very appealing to the demigod.

But every demigod knew what sleep brought: Dreams.

 _ _Nico sat next to Annabeth in the Underworld, comforting the daughter of Athena. Annabeth had her face in her hands while Nico rubbed her back, "Annabeth, he doesn't want to hurt you. He just can't handle seeing you right now. Maybe in a week."__

 _ _Annabeth looked up at him, disbelieving the son of Hades, "That's what you said a month ago."__

" _ _Believe me, Annabeth, he isn't having a good time either." Nico said, "He's cut himself off from everyone else. Sure, he smiles and talks and plays CTF, but it isn't him. I can see it in his eyes, the same thing I saw in mine after Bianca died and I ran away. I saw this scar on his arm, too straight and precise to be a battle wound. He's hurting himself, Annabeth."__

" _ _You're not helping, Nico."__

 _ _Nico sighed, "I'm really not good at this, am I? Will is, though. Gods, where would I be without him?"__

 _ _Annabeth looked at the son of Hades curiously, "You love him?"__

 _ _Nico sighed, "Yes, no, maybe? Every time I see Percy, it hurts. Seeing him like that. . . it's painful. But Will helps me every time. So yes, I guess."__

" _ _I wish I could talk to Percy." Annabeth whispered, "Can't you trick him down here?"__

 _ _Nico shook his head, "I won't do that. And you might talk to him soon, Annabeth. That's the scary thing. I can see his life fading. Fading, Annabeth. I think he's just not really living anymore, not without you. He's all but killing himself, a little at a time, to be with you."__

 _ _Annabeth burst out crying again, "Why? WHY?"__

Percy bolted upright, covered in cold sweat, his mind racing over Nico's words and mulling the possibilities.

Some time after, his alarm beeped loudly, telling the son of Poseidon it was seven o' clock. Percy changed into the camp shirt and jeans, then headed for breakfast. He ate alone at the Poseidon table, thinking about what he should do. It all really boiled down to three options: Move on, join Annabeth, or continue the way he was. Percy didn't really want to betray Annabeth by getting another girlfriend, and he also didn't want to betray her by taking the easy road and killing himself.

Breakfast passed, along with most of the day. Percy wrote his thirty-fifth journal entry, then flipped back through the pages, starting from the beginning. It seemed like nothing had changed since that eighth entry, except for the son of Poseidon getting physically weaker and more apathetic. Chiron looked at him with pity, while he and Clarisse had grown further apart since the second fight.

 _ _1/26/2016- Journal Thirty-Six__

 _ _I went to Chiron today, and asked for help getting over Annabeth. He told me to let go of her memory, to accept her death and move on. I know she's dead, and I fully accept that. But I can't let go of her memory or move on. She was everything to me, and that was amazing. Should she be worth any less to me in death than in life? Should I be that shallow, moving on only a month after she died? Chiron said making progress takes time, but what progress have I made? None, other than Clarisse fighting. Is the process over, then? Or am I stuck in it?__

 _ _I should destroy this journal, break the dagger and burn the necklace. Start over entirely, maybe move to London or something. But isn't death universal? Isn't that why he wasn't affected by the whole Greek-Roman thing? So wherever I go, her death will always be with me. Nico ran from Bianca's death. How did he get past it? He never told me, should I ask? Would that be too personal?__

 _ _I can't believe I'm still writing in this, actually. So I guess I'll end it here.__

‡—XXXXX—‡

 ** **Time Skip: Two Months (3/26/2016)****

"Anything?" asked Percy hopefully. Clarisse, the other "leader" of Camp Half-Blood, shook her head tiredly. Some creature had killed a demigod a while ago, and no one had seen hide nor hair of it since.

"Nothing." She replied, "I didn't expect to find anything, either. It's been over a week since Draco died and the punk had it coming, if you ask me."

"And yet," I commented, "We're still looking for the killer."

"He's a demigod. Whoever killed him is a threat." Clarisse replied bluntly, "Anything new happen here?"

Clarisse had taken a few Ares campers to look for a something that killed Draco Lanstead a while back. The tracks disappeared, but Clarisse went in that direction, looking for anything. Meanwhile, the son of Poseidon was stuck in Camp.

Percy groaned, "Nothing new."

Clarisse raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing him. Percy stood, turning to the door, "I'm going for a walk."

They were both inside the War Room before the son of Poseidon left, heading for the forest. After Leo's discovery of Bunker Nine a bit more then a year ago, people were constantly trying to find more secrets hidden in the trees.

Riptide was in Percy's hand as he walked, and Annabeth's dagger was at his waist. No way he was going to be caught defenseless.

The first monster the demigod came across was something with a goat head and goat legs. Not a Satyr -for sure- and defiantly not as friendly. Percy rolled to the side as it charged, then buried Riptide up to the hilt in it's body. It turned to dust as the son of Poseidon strode away, not noticing the hole in the ground until far to late. His foot fell into empty space, and -off-balance- Percy fell headlong into the darkness.

Riptide was still in his hand, though, so the son of Poseidon stabbed it in to the wall. He did the same with Annabeth's dagger, then hit the ground with a heavy __thud.__ Percy sat as still as a statue, glancing around for a delta, silently pleading to the Fates that this wasn't the Labyrinth _ _.__ Luckily, the demigod didn't see one, and started looking for a way out. An opening led off to the side, but the demigod couldn't see very far down it.

"So," Percy mused aloud, "Stay here and try to climb out, or walk into some dark cave. Ah, who am I kidding?"

The son of Poseidon strode into the darkness, occasionally tripping as his feet and a rock competed for the same spot. But the cave was slowly getting brighter -along with the sound of running water becoming louder- as the demigod kept going, until the cave ended with a blue door. A blue door with "Bunker Three" embedded in bronze over it.

"No way." Percy breathed, summoning enough water to soak his hand before opening the door. Inside, couches and chairs surrounded a crackling fire while the top of the room was transparent, showing the river rushing overhead. There were doors surrounding the room, each leading off in a different direction. Some led to what looked like the Roman military barracks- racks of bunks and not much else- while others were storerooms filled with Greek Fire, godly food, and everything else a bunch of Greeks needed to fight a war. Others still were dedicated armories, training rooms, and even an underground archery range.

The demigod kept exploring, his grief momentarily lifted by the novelty of exploration and discovery. It wouldn't last, however, as once Percy arrived back at the tunnel leading out, the emptiness that Annabeth's death brought returned and left the son of Poseidon silently weeping on the floor.

* * *

 ** **A/N: I said Pertemis at the beginning, 'cause that's where I'm leaning right now. But there's a poll on my profile that will decide where this story's going, so please take it.****

 ** **Please review, favorite, follow, whatever. Or not.****


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the slow update, I've been trying to get Steam on my chromebook (whenever I install it, my crouton breaks).**

Chapter 2-

It was a long time before Percy got up from his fetal position on the floor of Bunker Three. He was exhausted, both from exploring the twisting passageways of Bunker Three and from crying for so long. But even so, the son of Poseidon wrenched Annabeth's dagger from it's sheath and ran it down his right arm. Then he whistled, as loud as he could, and slumped against the wall of the Bunker.

An earth-shaking howl answered his whistle, and the truck-sized hellhound leapt out of the shadows. Mrs. o' Leary barely fit in the tunnel, but she had a bit more room in the Bunker itself after she forced herself in and laid next to her owner. Percy reached out a hand, stroking her soft fur and taking comfort from the repetitive act.

"You're the best friend." said the demigod, "You never ask questions, just come when I need you."

The son of Poseidon pulled himself next to the huge hellhound, letting the big dog's heat warm him like a giant furry blanket. The rhythmic breathing of the over-sized monster eventually lulled Percy into the deepest sleep he had in a long, long time.

‡—XXXXX—‡

 **Time Skip: One Month (3/26/2016)**

Riptide flew out of Percy's hand, clattering against the floor before Connor put the point of his sword to the son of Poseidon's chin.

"Must be on a streak." commented the son of Hermes as the match ended. Percy didn't reply, instead scooping up Riptide. He knew he should be able to beat Connor -Hades, he had consistently done so in the past. But now, he couldn't.

The next match ended same way, with Perseus losing hands down and Connor being victorious yet again.

Sighing, the demigod put Riptide back in pen form and trudged back to Cabin Three. Percy groaned as he fell backwards onto his bed, drawing Annabeth's dagger in the process. The son of Poseidon saw himself reflected in the polished blade. Dull purple bags under bloodshot eyes; A face that hadn't been shaved for at least five days; Dead pupils, empty of any emotion or drive. He was already dead, the Fates just hadn't cut his string yet.

Percy moved the blade down, carving a furrow in the tanned skin of his arm to match the others. It was strange how easily his skin was cut, so unlike the iron it used to be. The son of Poseidon sheathed the blade before falling back to his bed, lying there while his skin wept blood from the open wound.

 _3/27/2016- Journal One-Hundred Twenty-Seven_

 _I keep losing. To everyone. Should I stop cutting? Is that even an option at this point? Is anything? Gods, so long since she died and I still can't bring myself to see her. But it doesn't matter, does it? I'll see her again, and probably sooner than later. I hope so. I keep dreaming of her, every night. One night, she's eating steak at some restaurant and I feel like she's cutting me, not the meat. And the next, she's sitting on a park bench, alone and crying. Why don't I visit her? What's holding me back?_

 _Why can't she just get reborn already? Forget about me, about us, and live a new life. Please, let her do just that._

Percy closed the journal before getting up, deciding to go and fight something. Something he could beat, that is.

The son of Poseidon made as much noise as possible while he strode through the forest, trying to attract monsters and kill them. A deep growl alerted the demigod, making him bring up Riptide.

Percy spun just in time to see a hellhound leaping at him, bowling the demigod over and raking razor-sharp claws down his chest. The son of Poseidon rolled to the side, throwing the over-sized dog off and burying Riptide up to the hilt in it's flank. It dissolved as Percy stood again, somewhat concerned with how easily the hellhound had gotten the drop on him and how easily that encounter could've gone another way . .

As the adrenaline wore off, the demigod slowly became aware of his chest burning with agony and his shirt soaking through with blood. Taking off what was left of his shirt and looking down, Percy discovered just how deep the hellhound's claws got. But it was worth it, Percy thought as he quickly chugged the bottle of nectar he always had on hand. Because, for the first time sense the fight with Clarisse, he had felt alive. It didn't last.

The son of Poseidon grimaced as the claw-marks healed over, then started plodding back to the Poseidon Cabin to get a new shirt. He was almost there when the conch blew. Dinner, of course. Disappointed that the day was ending already, the demigod almost lethargically put on a shirt -that probably hadn't been washed in a few weeks- and headed out.

Percy headed to the pavilion, still looking down and unkempt, and more than a little disappointed. Even the extra-lean-cut-nymph-prepared-roast didn't cheer him up, though it was perfection. The Stolls had long since given trying to get the demigod immersed in a prank war, so now they left Percy alone. Along with everyone else. Almost everyone, that is.

"Hey, Percy, what's up?" questioned Grover, sitting down beside him. The Satyr had just gotten back from a tour of North America, organizing the nature spirits and other allies of nature in their non-violent push against expansionism.

"The sky." Percy replied dully, poking at his food.

"Still Annabeth?" Grover nodded, reading his emotions, "You're still really sad, man. Here's a tip: distract yourself until the distractions become more important than the things you're distracting yourself _from_. What I do."

The son of Poseidon sighed, turning a piece of roast over on his plate. "How could anything be more important the Annabeth?"

Grover shrugged, "I dunno, man. You're asking the wrong goat."

They finished their dinner together, Percy only taking a few bites then dropping the rest of it in the fire. He didn't give it to Poseidon, or any of the gods for that matter. It just burned to naught in the flickering flames.

The son of Poseidon stood, leaving before anyone else and locking himself inside Cabin Three. Once inside, he took out an IPhone 8 and hooked it up to a small portable speaker. The demigod drew Light and sat down on his bed, looking at the blade while music played.

" _It's okay if I'm a bit un-sta-ble, I've been doing just fine on my own . . ."_

‡—XXXXX—‡

 **Time Skip: One Month (4/26/2016)**

Percy looked at Annabeth's dagger for the fifth time in as many days, before sliding it down his left arm. He had switched arms a while ago, as his right was just _too_ weak after hundreds of cuts practically ruined the muscle. Then, with his left arm dripping blood onto the floor, Percy turned and looked out the window. He could see the light from a campfire, and could hear the chanting of traditional Camp songs. The demigod shook his head as he remembered the life he used to have, before grief took his life for it's own. Percy wasn't complaining, however.

Eventually, the son of Poseidon ended up lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling before falling asleep.

 _He was standing before a building, with dozens of figures in front of them. With a chill, the son of Poseidon recognized Nyx's palace in Tartaurus, with her "children" arrayed in front._

" _We will rise and destroy the gods for what they have done!" called out Nyx herself, "Imprisoning us in this pit, what did we do to them?"_

 _The assembled creatures let out a ragged cheer, mostly consisting of "Kill them!" and "We hate them!" They certainly hadn't gotten any more cheery since the last time the son of Poseidon stopped by. Nyx kept whipping up the crowd, making them cheer and shout when she mentioned the total destruction they would impart to the Olympians._

" _But, my children, it looks like we have a visitor!" Nyx shouted, pointed a long-fingernailed hand at Percy's position. He tried to run, but his legs wouldn't let him. Instead, the children of Nyx started ripping into him._

" _Tear him apart!" incited the Primordial goddess, then laid a hand on the demigod's forehead. Intense pain shot into his mind, adding to the tortures that tore up his body._

 _Even more agony ripped across the son of Poseidon's mind as Nyx pressed harder, then his vision was yanked away from Taurtaurus. This time, he was facing a man who looked like Clovis, from the Hypnos Cabin._

" _You should tread with caution in these turbulent dreams, young hero." said the personification of sleep, "You also should not have to remember the torture they put you through. This will help."_

 _With a wave of his fingers, the god summoned a goblet of milky white liquid. Then he carefully dipped a hanky inside and touched Percy with just the tiniest bit of Lethe._

The son of Poseidon woke in cold sweat, confident that he had dreamed of something important yet not having the foggiest idea of what he had dreamed up. Which meant there was one place he could go: Cabin Fifteen.

Percy walked into the mud-walled cabin, resisting the temptation to take a nap by rubbing the open cut on his arm from the night before. Fresh pain bolted through his body, bringing him to a sharp awakening. Reaching one pile of bedding in particular, Percy shook the boy sleeping in it.

"Clovis! Wake up!" he shouted -loudly- into the son of Hypnos' ear.

"Look out, Spock!" muttered Clovis, turning over, "Beam me up. . ."

Sighing, Percy unsheathed Annabeth's dagger and started poking the sleeping teen. Clovis shot awake, "Stop p-poking me. Where am I?"

Percy just waited as Clovis got his bearings again.

"Oh yeah, Cabin Fifteen. I was being tortured by the Klingons, they were poking me with red-hot pokers- that was you?" Clovis rubbed his eyes, yawning, "I think I'll take a nap . . ."

"No. I need your help." growled Perseus, shaking Clovis roughly.

"What? Help?"

"Dream. Get it back" answered the son of Poseidon. Short and blunt, Percy really didn't care what other people thought of him anymore.

Clovis nodded, "Just lay down. I'll make sure you don't stay asleep for _too_ long."

His words rolled over the demigod, making him even more drowsy. Percy fell, face-forward, into an unused pile of sheets and bedding.

Some time later, the son of Poseidon woke with a snoring Clovis next to him. He groaned, "Clovis, get up!"

This time, Clovis woke with the shake that Percy had provided, "Wh-what?"

"The dream?" Percy growled impatiantly.

"What dream?" replied Clovis, drowsy, then woke fully. "Oh yeah, that dream. No, I didn't. It was wiped with Lethe, and the only one with enough skill to use it like that's my father. No way I'm going against him."

Percy cursed bitterly, "I'll find him, then."

"Wait!" called Clovis as the son of Poseidon turned to leave, "Trust me. If Hypnos wiped a dream from you, you don't want to remember it. Trust-"

Clovis fell face forward, asleep before he could finish the sentence. Percy walked out of the cabin, then decided the dream wasn't important enough to actually find the elusive god. After all, the demigod had never seen Hypnos before, nor had anyone else outside of dreams.

It was dark outside, prompting Percy to check his watch and see it was early the next morning. He had been asleep for a little less than sixteen hours in the Hypnos Cabin. So the son of Poseidon jogged into the forest, sending a brace of texts to various other phones. Experience had taught him that this was the best way to attract monsters quickly.

A Cyclops crashed through the trees before seeing Percy and raising a rough club threateningly.

Percy said nothing, uncapping Riptide in his right hand and drawing Annabeth's dagger in his left. It wasn't designed to be held in the left hand, but that was just a minor inconvenience.

The club swung down at the demigod, striking a glancing blow as the demigod rolled away. The Percy lunged, stabbing the monster with Riptide while burying the dagger in it's throat.

The son of Poseidon returned his attention to his surrounding, keeping a lookout for any more monsters. HE wasn't disappointed: A giant scorpion came at him, claws snapping and stinger flying. Percy dodged the first strike, then started hacking away at the monster's joints. That was the only way to kill the armored beast, chopping off legs, claws, and stinger then let it bleed out. The demigod deflected the stinger off the flat of Annabeth's dagger, then lodged Ripdtide deep into the joint of the scorpion's left claw. After ripping the sword loose, that claw hung limply from it's joint.

Percy smiled as the adrenaline coursed through his body, before hacking with renewed vigor at the monster. Soon it was on the ground, legs all round it and the stinger lying a few feet away. The demigod was walking in circles around the writhing monster, letting it bleed out while the demigod calmed down and reverted to his earlier state.

Monster after monster attacked the son of Poseidon, but they all fell to Riptide and Annabeth's dagger -until it was time for breakfast. Sheathing his weapons, Percy walked to the showers, washing off before heading to the dining pavilion. It was the standard breakfast -cereal, toast, bananas, raspberries, and bagels- but it had never tasted so good to Percy. After all, he hadn't eaten for over a day. Once he had eaten his fill, the demigod headed to the kitchen. He had kitchen duty for an indefinite amount of time on all three meals, courtesy of the fights he had gotten into with some of the Ares Cabin on one occasion or another.

The harpy's lava was just as hot as it always, leaving me and a few unfortunate others with over two hundred assorted plates and bowls to wash in our asbestos gloves. Percy was hard to burn, yes, but no matter how much water ran through his veins, lava would burn him badly every time.

"Pass the spray bottle." Percy ordered to another camper. A daughter of Hebe, maybe.

She tossed it over, leaving the son of Poseidon to pluck it out of the air and start spraying the molten rock over some particularly difficult plates. Thankfully, he had his IPhone to help pass the time.

" _Living in a world so cold, wasting away. Living in a shell with no soul, since you've gone away."_

‡—XXXXX—‡

 **Time Skip: Three Weeks (5/17/2016)**

Percy rolled over in his bed, wanting desperately to sleep. But it wouldn't come, instead giving way to an urge to fight, to kill, and have those precious moments of adrenaline course through his body.

Sighing, the demigod climbed out of bed and grabbed Riptide from his bedside. Not bothering to change, the son of Poseidon ventured into the forest. Many more monsters roamed it at night, making this the perfect time to kill a few of them and hopefully let the demigod get high on adrenaline again. A wild Centaur was the first to fall to the sharp bronze blade, It's first swing was blocked, and it didn't get time for a second. Then an old buddy of Percy's ambled up: the Minoaur.

It hadn't gotten any smarter in Tartaurus, nor did it have a weapon. It charged Percy, who got knocked aside but managed to get in a wild stab into it's thick neck with his dagger. The monster dissolved into a much heftier pile of dust than the Centaur, and the son of Poseidon sighed as the adrenaline filling his world for a few magical seconds. Then he trudged back to the Poseidon Cabin and fell onto an empty bed. Percy wasn't sure if he fell asleep before or after he hit the sheets, but it was a close-run thing.

 _Thalia, with a thirteen-year old girl at her side, walked into the Hunter's camp, "My lady?"_

 _Artemis walked out of her tent, facing the pair, "A new maiden?"_

" _Yes, ma'am." answered the Hunter. Artemis nodded to herself, leading them into her tent._

" _Repeat after me: I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis." Thalia started._

 _The girl looked around uncertainly before speaking, "I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis."_

" _I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt." finished the Lieutenant_

" _I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt." repeated the girl._

" _Then I accept your oath, young one. What is your name?" Artemis asked._

" _Resuza." she replied, the silvery aura already taking shape around her._

 _Thalia led Resuza back out of the tent, getting her a Hunter's outfit: white shirt, silver jacket, and grey camo pants. The Lieutenant also sized her up for a bow, very low-powered until her muscles built enough to use a proper bow with a greater draw-weight. Artemis came as Thalia was teaching her to shoot, correcting very minor mistakes and generally helping as she watched her Lieutenant teach the newest recruit._

 _Then Artemis turned, as if sensing something. She looked straight into Percy's eyes, then snapped her fingers._

Percy's eyes opened, waking from the dream he had found himself in and somewhat happy -or less down- that Artemis hadn't done something like summon him to the camp and castrate him.

‡—XXXXX—‡

 **Time Skip: Three Weeks (5/17/2016)**

Riptde slammed down on Connor's sword with a clang, ripping it from the son of Hermes' hands. Percy sheathed it and gave him a hand up before leaving. Fighting other demigods just didn't have the same thrill as killing monsters. After all, he was in no real danger.

"Wait, Percy!" called Connor, "I have something for you!"

Percy sighed at his planned hunt being denied, "What?"

"Come with me." Connor led him to the Hermes Cabin, then reached under the bed and withdrew a slim laptop. One with a Delta symbol on the top. "Happy early birthday, 'cause Travis and I are going to New Rome."

The son of Poseidon turned it over and over in his hands, "When did you find this?"

That question made Connor shift uncomfortably, "I was one of people who cleared the wreckage, dude. It was under a support beam."

Percy scowled, "That was over a month ago."

"Yeah, I couldn't guess the password." the Stoll twin shrugged, "So it's yours."

Percy opened the laptop, looking at the screen before walking away.

The son of Poseidon turned back to his own cabin, trying to think of the password. Knowledge is power didn't word, in Latin, Greek or English. The password hint that popped up was cryptic, to say the least: _So Eat All Wdnefolrly Eacxt Enioquats Driung Beark, Rspecintg Aothner Ivginoorus Nolode._

Percy just put it down to dyxlexia and tried to re-arrange the letters into words, making it look something like this: _So Eat All Wonderfully Exact Equations During Break, Respecting Another Invigorous Noodle._

He tried his own name with no luck, along with Thalia's, Nico's, Grover's, and Malcolm's. No dice. Every Jane Austen novel was rebuffed, along with the _Harry Potter_ series. So Percy turned back to the password hint, trying to figure it out. He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus and see through the dyslexia. The words stayed in the same scrambled-ness as they had previously.

"Is this a cipher or something?" asked Percyat the wall. Not surprisingly, the wall didn't reply. It would be simple, he knew. Annabeth always said the simplest plans have the least to go wrong. Or maybe the password hint was just gibberish. Sighing, Percy drew Annabeth's dagger and made a long cut down his arm, then realized he could read the Greek letters perfectly clearly. Which meant the letter on the screen _were_ in the correct order.

"So maybe the letter order isn't important." mused the son of Poseidon, then realized something else: The first and last letter of each word was correct, it was the letters in between that were scrambled. Written on a sheet of paper, it looked like thins: SoEtAlWyEtEsDgBkRgArIsNe.

Percy rubbed his head, trying to puzzle the password from it. The words seemed to swim in vision, the capitols all bashing into each other while the lower case tried to break up the fight. And that's when Percy saw it.

The son of Poseidon typed a pair of words into the bar, shaking his head at Annabeth's choice of password, "Never thought you cared that much, Annabeth."

" _Of course I do, Seaweed Brain."_ would probably be her reply, followed by a sarcastic explanation of just why. The password, as it so happens, was SEAWEEDBRAIN. The first letter of each word of the hint, hidden in plain sight.

The laptop was filled with tons of brainiac software. CAD -Computer Aided Design- programs, SimCity, some calculator with what seemed like a million keys and more. 3-D maps of Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter, and Olympus. Schematics for millions of designs, most likely from Daedalus and Bunker Nine. Many had accompanying CAD files, meaning the daughter of Athena had re-created them on the computer in 3-D.

Percy spent the next few hours puzzling out the computer -discovering how to turn it into a phone, how to print credit cards, and how to transfer music from his IPhone 8 to the computer. After all, what else would one need?

 _5/19/2016- Journal One-Hundred Ninty-Nine_

 _How long can I really keep going like this? I got into another fight with Ares today; Jake -I think- was kicking a puppy. I will never understand cruelty. . . . Anyways, I told him to stop, he sneered and called me weak. I broke his hand._

 _So kitchen duty is extended again. The school year is starting soon, but why should I care? Annabeth lived here year-round for what, seven years? More? Onto another topic, the Athena Cabin's got it's fifteenth member since . . . since then. And I still don't have any half-brothers or sisters. Then again, it's only been a few years since the pack was lifted, so I shouldn't expect them anytime soon._

 _Mother said she's almost done with my last set of adventures. Blood of Olympus, I think she called it. Pity she can't publish them as non-fiction . . . The Hunters are supposed to arrive at camp today, maybe I'll see Thalia again._

With that, Percy sighed and closed the journal. If anyone was looking at that moment, they would've seen a brief moment of emotion in his features before the emotionless, grieving shield snatched whatever feelings the son of Poseidon had away again. There were only two times when he really _felt_ anything these days: killing a monster and writing his journal. No sense of accomplishment whe he pounded Clarisse or another camper into the ground. No sense of victory when he brought a captured flag across the river. No sense of loneliness when he looked out the window at the rest of the camper, laughing and joking with each other. Just a dull, everlasting ache of sorrow and the emptiness of love lost.

"Hey! Let go of me!" shouted a voice that Percy recognized as the new Athena camper. Seven years old, she looked as Percy would've imagined Annabeth to be when she came to camp. Stormy and intelligent grey eyes coupled blond hair and features that even _looked_ a bit like Annabeth's. The son of Poseidon knew that it couldn't be Annabeth reborn, though. No one can get reborn into a seven year-old's body.

"Get off!" she shouted again, snapping Percy out of his musings. The demigod grabbed Riptide off his nightstand and opened the door, Annabeth's dagger at his belt as it always was. Clarisse was dragging the girl -Acacia? Ada?- in the direction of the toilets with a couple of her buddies laughing at the girl's plight.

"Stop." Percy ordered, striding up to the group.

"Screw you, Jackson." Clarisse spat back, still dragging the daughter of Athena to the toilets.

Clarisse's buddies stepped between me and her, crossing their arms. Two males, one female. All three were big, burly, and generally thuggish.

"Step aside or I'll break your arms." threatened the son of Poseidon.

"Three-on-one? I don't think so." The one in the lead replied.

"Then you're _really fucking wrong_." Percy uncapped Riptide, the familiar bronze blade growing in his palm as he drew the dagger and rushed the three Ares campers. The demigod unleashed a withering hail of blows on closest camper, quickly disarming him and scoring a deep cut across his chest before the son of Poseidon spun to face his other two opponents.

The female camper had a heavy, two-handed sword in her hand while the male was holding a more classic spear and shield. They attacked in sync, momentarily pushing Percy back before he adjusted and kicked flatfooted into the girl's knee. The bone snapped with an audible _crack_ , prompting Percy to turn to the other son of Ares.

The son of Poseidon quicky forced him onto defense before Riptide hooked around the shield and Percy buried Annabeth's dagger into the son of Ares' shoulder. He twisted the dagger before yanking it out and turning to Clarisse. "I'm really fucking tired of you, la Rue."

"Yeah? Prove it." Clarisse dared before changing her voice to a shout, "ARES! TO ME!"

The Ares campers rushed to her voice, drawing weapons and forming up behind their leader. They all eyed Percy with hate, presumably because of the three bleeding demigods at his feet.

"Can't even fight your own battles, Clarisse?" taunted the son of Poseidon, "Pathetic."

" _I'm_ still alive. Unlike your girlfriend." Clarisse shot back, "You're a coward, Jackson. When she died, you _hid._ Maybe if you weren't such a scardy-cat, she'd still be alive."

The taunt didn't exactly make sense, but Percy didn't care. A red rage descended over his vision as he charged, intent on killing the one person who would dare deal such a low blow. Maimer and Riptide met in a shower of sparks, the sheer force of the blow and the hate behind it making the daughter of Ares stumble back. Then the rest of the cabin was on the son of Poseidon.

Percy fought like a demon, Riptide cutting through spear shaft and flesh alike as camper after camper stumbled away with wounds. Percy wasn't pulling any blows either; A few campers only got a few paces before toppling over, unconscious or dead.

Clarisse reclaimed her spot fighting the crazed son of Poseidon, but even the most powerful daughter of Ares in half a century wasn't strong enough to hold the demigod in check. Percy hooked a shield away with Annabeth's dagger, then sank Riptide up to the hilt in the owner's stomach before yanking it out and blocking a sword. That unlucky son of Ares got his testicles crushed after a kick from Percy, who then turned to knock another camper out of the fight in the momentary distraction.

The son of Poseidon didn't get away unscathed, however. A spearhead scraped against his shoulderblade, and a sword opened a long cut across his stomach. Three inches of Celestial Bronze embedded itself in his thigh as Percy spun away, knocking the spear's owner out of the fight with a vicious counter-stroke. Some Ares campers ran away as the blood continued to flow and campers continued to fall, until Percy was only facing three: Clarisse and two others.

Snarling, the son of Poseidon stalked forward as the Ares campers backed up in fear. He was bleeding heavily from all over his body, several easily life-threatening wounds adorning his chest and stomach. But he didn't care. The adrenaline was more intense than it had ever been before. And he fully intended to die today, and be re-united with Annabeth. Fate, though, had other ideas

"No!" shouted a new voice -Thalia- and a blunt, silver arrow slammed into the point of Percy's jaw.

Thalia and Artemis ran up, the later turning skyward as soon as she saw Percy's still body, "Apollo! Get down here!"

"What's up, sis? Other than me, of course." asked the god of the Sun as he flashed down, then his eyes widened. "What happened here?"

Apollo, without waiting for an answer, started flashing demigods up to his palace. Artemis helped, starting with Perseus then exclusively moving daughters of Ares. Thalia stalked towards Clarisse and her half-brothers, bow drawn and another arrow already knocked, "What did you do to him? I'd better like the answer, or the next arrow's gonna go through your throat."

* * *

 **A/N: At the end of the next chapter is when Percy arrives at the Hunt. I'll post it tomorrow if I can finish it fast enough, but no promises. Oh, and this won't be a super-Percy story (no blessings or anything like that). He only did this much damage because he didn't care if he died, and thus went completely offensive.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: To be clear on this: I decided to make this an entirely different story from Proctor of Judgment. No relation whatsoever.**

 **Oh, and the votes are tied between a Guardian Pertemis and a Non-Guardian Pertemis. So how does Servant of the Hunt sound to y'all? Meanwhile, none of you want him to fall in love with a mortal . . .**

* * *

Chapter 3-

Percy woke up covered in bandages, his jaw aching abominably, and the adrenaline rush from earlier was completely gone. In other words, he was hurting. In fact, his entire body ached as if a few hundred drakons decided to trample him, all at once. Then dropped a few tanks and semi's on him for good measure.

The son of Poseidon tried to speak, only for fresh bolts of pain to rocket through his jaw. Apollo -noticing he was awake- immediately flashed to his bedside. "How d'you feel?"

All the sun god got as an answer was a pained groan.

"Oh yeah, Thalia broke your jaw with an arrow. It probably saved your life, actually." Apollo looked him over, then took out an IPad and started tapping, "If you didn't fall unconscious when you did, you probably would've died of blood-loss. Do you know how many potentially mortal wounds you had?"

If Percy could speak, he would've said "No, and I don't want to know." But he couldn't speak, so Apollo continued.

"A spear punctured your groin. That killed more in the Civil War than I can think of. . . Anyways, your right lung was punctured, and whatever did that even scratched your heart. Your stomach was ran through, along with your liver and gall-bladder. Intestines were mostly intact, but we had to remove a kidney. Too far gone. Don't worry, you won't miss it. Still, you should've died a hundred times over. I'm awesome, aren't I?"

Just hearing the extent of his injuries made Percy wince involuntarily, only for that to send even more bolts of agony ripping through his body. Apollo's IPad beeped as soon as this happened and prompted the god to looked at the demigod, concerned. "I think I'd better put you to sleep again. Artemis would kill me if she heard the only "decent" male died in my care. Then again, your reputation _has_ dropped in the Hunters. Something about killing a girl . . . Anyways, night-night!"

Darkness once again fell over Percy's vision, leaving him in the embrace of unconsciousness.

‡—XXXXX—‡

This time when Percy woke up, most of the bandages were gone. His body still ached in pain, but it was lessened and seemed concentrated where there were bandaged. His jaw still hurt, as he soon discovered when he moved it about experimentally.

To the right and front of him were rows of hospital beds, most of them with children of Ares in them. Equipment hooked up to monitors steadily beeped and showed the patient's vitals, along with -somehow- how much pain they were in. Suddenly, the beeping of one machine, three beds down, became a droning.

A man bustled in, one wearing a lab coat over a business suit. A kind face was framed by salt-and-pepper hair. A stethoscope adorned his neck, and in his right hand was a polished black staff with a python coiled around it.

"Asclepius?" Percy asked, vaguely recognizing him from Piper's description.

The god rested his staff on the son of Ares, but the machines made the same droning noise, "Oh dear. Another dead. . ."

"Asclepius?" Percy asked again.

"It's _Doctor_ Asclepius. I didn't earn the PHD for fun, thank you very much. Or the MD and PHARMD." He turned to look at the son of Poseidon. "Ah, you're awake. Let's see. . . blood pressure a little low, nothing to worry about. Your system is recovering well, although please make sure you don't lose any more blood in the next few days . . . I'll stop that infection, along with the fever that's setting in. All in all, you should live. Which is quite impressive, for Apollo."

Dr. Asclepius rested the staff on Percy's shoulder, "There we go. All fixed up, except for the BP."

"Thanks." Percy replied, then tried to leave. As soon as he touched the door handle, however, gleaming words appeared on the door itself: "Perseus Jackson, three days of bedrest remaining."

Ignoring the message, Percy tried to turn the handle, only to discover he couldn't.

Dr. Asclepius tutted, "You won't be leaving until you are fully healed, Mr. Jackson. Please return to your bed, or I will force you to."

Not wanting to try to fight a god without his weapons -for some reason, Riptide wasn't in his pocket- Percy laid down in his bed again and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

‡—XXXXX—‡

 **Time Skip: Three Days (3/30/2016)**

"Wake, Perseus." said Dr. Asclepius, gently shaking the demigod. "It is time for the council meeting."

The son of Poseidon groaned as he sat up -groggy from the quick awaking- but quickly became alert, "A meeting? For what?"

"For you." Dr. Asclepius replied, then motioned to the door, "Don't keep them waiting, boy."

Percy nodded, hurrying out the door and navigation his way to the Throne Room. He hadn't been to Olympus very many times, but the Athena Parenthos was hard to miss. When walking in, the demigod noticed that all of the gods were in war attire. Thalia was there, along with Clarisse, a few of the Ares Campers, and other assorted campers.

The demigod walked forward to the center of the chairs, then stopped. Zeus turned to the rest of the council, "We are here to discuss the fate of Perseus Jackson."

Ares growled, "He should be _dead_! If y'all won't, I'll kill this punk!"

"Sit, Ares. Yours is not the only voice on this council." Hera warned.

Athena looked at her, "Though his _is_ the quarrel."

"True. It is clear that the young man in question killed nine of his children." acknowledged the Queen of the Gods.

"After being provoked, having Annabeth insulted, and having to watch one of my children be bullied." Athena countered, "While this is obviously an offense against Ares, it is the role of the council to see what punishment should be levied against the young man we have proclaimed a hero on multiple occasions."

Ares snorted, "He should be _dead_!"

"No. I still regret sentencing the son of Hecate. Are we to be a council who solves every problem with an execution?" Hera asked.

"Enough!" said Zeus, the King of the Gods commanding silence, "This sea spawn killed nine other demigods. He is obviously a danger at Camp Half-Blood. Any sentence will be decided by a vote."

"Let my son speak for himself before you jump to conclusions." asked -or rather, ordered- Poseidon, then turned to the demigod in the center of the room, "Speak, son."

"I fully admit to killing a number of Ares campers and probably injuring the rest of them, Zeus." Percy looked steadily at Ares as he spoke, "If Thalia hadn't stopped me, I would've done my best to remove the last three from the fight."

Most of the gods and goddesses looked shocked by this declaration, then Athena spoke again, "I do not believe the death penalty should be a possibility here. I claim that Clarisse was the aggressor as she deliberately bullied -or was going to at the very least. Even after her past experiences with bullying and Perseus, she persisted in this _atrocious_ behavior. It appears she takes after her father in terms of brain-power."

"Hey! He _still_ killed _nine_ of my campers!" Ares shouted, reaching for his sword.

"What would _you_ do if you were facing over forty enemies, alone? Quiet frankly, I am surprised as many survived as they did. If you wish to review the event, it is quite clear that Percy was fighting for his life against Ares campers who were quite intent on ending it." Hera countered.

Apollo was reading a male fashion magazine, hardly paying attention while Aphrodite did the same with the opposite gender of magazine. Artemis looked torn between concern and loathing, Demeter was fiddiling with a stalk of wheat. The rest of the Olympians appeared to be listening intently, except of course Dionysus -who was snoring away.

"The boy is still a threat." said Hephaestus, looking at Percy as if assessing whether the demigod would go haywire, "He may not have been the aggressor this time, but grief makes one do odd things. I don't want him to be standing over the bodies of my boys the next time this happens."

"Farming is what he needs." Demeter interrupted, not looking up from her incredibly interesting plant, "A year of farm-work can do marvels."

"She has a point." replied Zeus, breaking into the conversation, "In the Underworld or on another of Demeter's farms, he would not be able to harm another demigod. It will be safer once my next child comes to ca-"

He was interrupted by a stinging slap from Hera, who growled, "We will be having words over that later, and I'd better like your excuses."

"Picking up where Zeus left off, I believe my children would be safer as well." Athena stated, "The rivalry between Poseidon and I runs deep, and I would not be surprised to see the bodies of my own children. In the Underworld, Perseus would both be safe from harming others and have ample time to . . . what is the mortal expression? _Get over_ my daughter."

"Perhaps he will also learn some respect, which he still seems to lack." growled Zeus. That was obviously a sore point for the King of the Gods, "Perhaps some time as a servant to Hades would aid in that."

Ares, for the first time in the council, looked like he could be content with that arrangement. None of the council looked very against it, except for Athena.

"A lifetime serving as Hades' slave would turn him insane, not teach him respect." argued the Goddess of Wisdom, "So I believe this punishment would be more fitting: The next eight months of his life would be spent farming in the Underworld, the four after that as Hades' slave. Then his life after as the Hunt's servant."

Looking around at the assembled gods and goddesses, Zeus saw no real opposition to that idea, "Then it shall be put to a vote. All in favor?"

Athena's hand went up first, along with Demeter's, Ares' and Hephaestus'. The other gods and goddess' hands eventually accompanied them until it was only Artemis, who looked absolutely disgusted by the idea.

"Then it is passed." Zeus added his own spin to the punishment after the other Olympians flashed themselves and their children away -excepting Demeter and Athena. The King of the Gods snapped his fingers, and most of Percy's personal possessions appeared on a stone table.

"Take three of the items for your stay, the rest will be returned to you once you return to the world of the living." commanded the god. Percy walked over to the gray stone table, looking at what was there: Annabeth's hat, dagger, and laptop. Riptide, the Minotaur horn, his journal, and camp necklace were present as well. Without hesitation, the son of Poseidon chose the necklace, journal, and dagger.

"I believe you are deserving of a small gift for aiding my daughter, Perseus." Athena said, approaching the table, "This will aid you when you arrive at the Hunt."

The Goddess of Wisdom picked up Annabeth's New York Yankees' cap, which glowed in her hands before being returned to the table with it's powers functioning once more. Then Athena flashed away without saying another word.

"Demeter, take him to the Underworld. He will _not_ return before the year is finished." Zeus ordered.

Demeter merely nodded before he flashed away as well.

‡—XXXXX—‡

"I must say, Perseus, I expected you to protest at the meeting." said the Goddess of Wheat as she took Percy's arm and flashed them down to the Underworld.

"I killed nine people, so I deserve whatever happens to me." The demigod shrugged, seeming resigned, "Besides, this is a death-sentence, all but it name. I'll take it with both hands."

At this, Demeter felt a thread of concern over the son of Poseidon, and seeing the scars on his arms only increased that concern. The goddess didn't want him dead, which was the whole reason she had suggested farming at the meeting. The other Olympians would probably end up putting Percy in a situation where he would rather die than keep living, even if Hera objected to it. Anything Poseidon said would've been ignored, which meant there was a good chance his son would be dead by the end of the year -had Demeter not stepped in.

Now it was time for the goddess to take the first steps in healing Percy. She took the demigod's shoulder, forcing him to looked into Demeter's eyes, "This is my land. On it you will do as I say, both in farming and other matters."

Percy nodded carefully before asking another question, "Why would you have a farm in the Underworld? Don't you hate it here?"

"This farm is the only thing that makes this un-holy place livable." Demeter allowed herself a small smile at her surroundings, "My brother-in-law helped create this farm to keep me occupied when Persephone is forced to the Underworld, and I follow. He even convinced Apollo to provide sunlight year-round. It is not winter, however, so you shall be doing the farming."

"I don't know anything about farming." said the son of Poseidon.

"Which is why _I_ am going to teach you. After all, it's excellent character building."

 _5/23/2016- Journal Two Hundred-Three_

 _Demeter wasn't kidding about the farming. She showed me a plow -moldboard, I think?- and showed me how to attach it to a horse. A living horse, not a skeletal one that Hades would summon. Then she told me to plow the field. Well, easier said then done of course. I told the horse to walk in a straight line -and it did- but I still had to take the handles and try to keep the metal thing under the soil and keep the plow between the horse. Wow, four ands in one sentence. Must be a record. Demeter had me redo most of the field because it wasn't deep enough, which sucked. And a horse doesn't exactly provide interesting conversation._

 _Once we were done, Demeter gave me a room at Hades' palace and a clock -shapped like a rooster- to wake me up. The room itself was basic: a straw mattress, and a small table with a chair._

Percy sighed, closing the journal and unsheathing the dagger. As the demigod ran it down his arm, he met his first revelation: The blade didn't cut his skin. At all. It ran over his flesh like the edge was completely dull, which it most definitely wasn't. Then the goddess in the room made herself known.

"You will not harm yourself in my care. Understood?" asked -or rather, ordered- Demeter, "In fact, you _cannot_ harm yourself. If you wish to drown yourself in the Styx, you will be flashed to my side the moment you touch it's waters. The Lethe is approximately five hundred meters east, but losing your memory would dishonor Annabeth's."

The son of Poseidon nodded mutely, not even looking at her.

Demeter sighed, "Perseus, I want you to live through this, not pursue self-destruction."

"With all respect, I've done a good job of surviving so far." This time, he glared at the goddess, "I don't need you to help."

"You misunderstand me, Perseus." Demeter met his glare, an almost motherly concern in her eyes, "I want you to _live_."

‡—XXXXX—‡

The clock made a rooster's call early the next morning, waking Percy up. He reached for his dagger, startled at waking up in a bed that wasn't his own and not in Cabin Three, but released it once he realized where he was.

As if sensing he was awake, Demeter flashed in carrying a large bowl. She placed it on the table, along with a glass of milk.

The son of Poseidon climbed to his feet -still in yesterday's clothes- and practically dragged himself to the table, "What is it?"

"Porridge made from oat, millet, and wheat. Not a balanced breakfast, but you haven't earned one yet." listed the goddess as the demigod began to eat. "I expect you to work at the highest level you are capable of -not comfortable with. If I feel you are not trying your hardest, you will not earn your next meal. The harder a farmer works at his trade, the more I bless him with the growth of his crops. As such, sitting in a tractor all day does not constitute effort."

Percy nodded, still eating. It wasn't sweet, salty, or spicy. It was wholesome, though, and would prepare him for the day ahead.

"Today you will learn to plant. _Without_ the fancy machines mortals are so fond of." Demeter said as Percy finished, then the goddess strode out the door.

 _5/24/2016- Journal Two Hundred-Four_

 _That was hard. Who knew planting seeds could be so exhausting? I guess old-fashioned farmers. Nico came around, telling me that Annabeth wanted to talk. I told him I couldn't. I think Demeter was listening, though. Anyways, apparently I planted half the field wheat and the other half with barley . . ._

‡—XXXXX—‡

 **Time Skip: Three Months (8/24/2016)**

Artemis frowned at the sight before her, a reaction copied by the stiffening of all fifty-or-so Hunters behind her. The sight itself was that a man of about forty was getting pushy with a young woman of eighteen or nineteen. When their voices grew to shouting, and the man forcibly grabbing the girl's arm, Artemis' silver arrow buried itself in his throat.

The girl screamed as she saw blood flowing from a Mist-induced bullet-wound in the throat, then hurried to his side, "Dad? You're gonna be okay, right?"

She erupted into tears, hugging her father's soon-to-be dead body just as Artemis realized she might've made a terrible mistake. A flood of godly power flowed over the mortal male, but it was far too late for him.

The young woman, her eyes red and face streaked with tears, looked at them, "H-he just w-w-wanted to s-stop me from g-going to th-th-the b-bar. Wh-why d-d'you have t-t-to. . ."

She trailed off, sobbing even harder. Artemis, stony with sadness that she had messed up so badly and hurt this young woman, walked away and forced down the water that was threatening to well in her eyes.

"Lady Artemis?" asked Thalia, also disturbed by her leader's actions. "Are you alright?"

"No." The goddess whispered back, so soft that the demigod couldn't hear it. Then, still walking, she raised her voice, "I am fine, Lieutenant. Tell Pheobe we're setting camp soon."

A mile behind them, a pitch-black wolf sniffed at the air and caught the coppery scent of fresh blood. All around Lycaon, his pack smelled the same, "She has made a kill."

The only humanoid among them -seven feet tall and carrying a longbow- growled, "Another crime. They can't be far ahead now."

‡—XXXXX—‡

 **Time Skip: Two months. (10/24/2016)**

"Perseus!" called Demeter, looking for him in the field. The wheat was standing tall and proud, almost ready to be harvested but unfortunately concealed her charge. Soon, though, a figure exited the field and made his way over.

"Yes, ma'am?" replied the demigod. Respect was another thing the goddess was gradually teaching him, mainly to make the impact softer when the next three months passed and he became Hades' slave.

Demeter took his shoulder, "I have given you a year to recover, but now it is time to face Annabeth."

Before he could protest, the goddess flashed him into Elysium, more specifically a replica of Camp Half-Blood for demigods who would rather have that environment than any other. Those who spent more time in camp than out for their entire lives. Cabin Six looked a lot grander in the Underworld, both bigger and having millenia of caring work put into it from dead children of Athena.

"Go." Demeter gave the demigod a little shove, pushing him through the door and inside what looked like merely an atrium of a much larger building than the outside would suggest.

Percy's eyes searched the room, knowing Demeter wouldn't let him leave. Instead of Annabeth, he spotted another person who wasn't unwelcome.

"Percy?" Nico asked, approaching the demigod, "Annabeth?"

The son of Poseidon nodded mutely by way of an answer.

Nico sighed, "I'll take you to her. Looks like the last few months have been good for you."

Percy surprised even himself when he replied, "They have."

"Wow, a two word answer." Nico replied sarcastically, "Haven't gotten that out of you for a year."

The son of Poseidon chuckled weakly as they arrived at a door.

"Inside here." Nico gestured to the door, "Just a tip- don't leave until you're truly ready."

With that, the son of Hades turned the knob and slowly swung the door open.

 _10/24/2016- Journal Three-Hundred Sixty-Four_

Percy started at the title for a long time, tears falling freely from his eyes and dotting the paper. Nothing he could put into words could hold a candle to what had happened today. So he could only hope that whatever he put on paper could make him remember in the future.

 _Gods, I feel so much . . . lighter? Not happier, certainly. So I guess lighter_ is _the right word. Now I know she doesn't blame me for not being able to prevent the explosion. We spent hours talking, I hope you (I?) remember forever. Gods, I'm still crying. . . ._

 _At least Declan got what was coming to him. I never would've expected that son of Hecate to actually kill, but who cares? He did it, and now he's dead. Good riddance to bad rubbish, as they say. Anyways, five of eight months of farming are over with. The wheat should be ready for harvesting in a month or two. I pulled in my second harvest of barley -Demeter said it was best to leave it for about half a month after you think it's done growing._

 _I really should learn to believe her about everything. I can't deny that farming with her -well, her making me farm- has done me a lot of good. Character building, as they say. I think I'm also getting over Annabeth too. I'm not thinking about her as much when there's work to be done, which is nice._

He closed the journal, then opened it again and flipped through the pages. Demeter, after she saw the journal, did Percy a favor and made the journal have infinite pages. The son of Poseidon didn't have any idea how it worked, just that when he wanted to find a page, the next page he flipped to was it. The first entry seemed like so long ago to Percy, but he could barely even remember what life was like before Annabeth died.

The son of Poseidon skimmed the pages, reading the story of his life from _12/24/2015 to_ _10/24/2016._ _Three-hundred sixty-four days since the journal was started, a clean year since Annabeth died._

‡—XXXXX—‡

The rooster-alarm went off at it's usual time the next day, as did Demeter flashing in. Instead of carrying porridge, she was carrying a full spread of breakfast. After all, the demigod _had_ put in his best work for over five months.

"How do you feel?" asked the goddess, looking at the young man she could almost consider as a surrogate son.

"Better than yesterday morning, ma'am." Percy replied, digging into breakfast with a new fervor that Demeter had never seen before.

tYou seem energetic this morning." Demeter commented dryly, though happy that Percy appreciated her cooking. It was all local, too. Meat from Hera's cows or -if it was bacon- from her own livestock. Being the Goddess of Pig-Farming had it's advantages, and that those very same pigs were fed from the barley Percy had harvested was even more a plus.

Percy swallowed -Demeter insisted on good manners- before talking, "I am. And I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. I was going over my journal yesterday, and it just hit me how much I've changed. From day one, when I was so shocked I couldn't even move, to when getting into endless fights was the only thing that could get me to feel anything at all. Then when I wanted to die so badly, I didn't even bother defending myself when I attacked the Ares campers. If you didn't help me, ma'am, I have no doubt I would be dead by now."

"You've already thanked me, Perseus." The Goddess of the Harvest squeezed his shoulder, "You shown it every day in the field. Your devotion to the crops is rarely mirrored in the world, even in the strawberry fields of Camp Half-Blood. You always put your best work into it, and believe me when I say you hold the record in crops you produce."

But Perseus waved it away, "You influenced my field, so it isn't-"

Demeter shook her head, cutting him off, "No, Perseus. None of my powers have been used on that field, in the past or present. It was purely the effort you put in and the care you've shown the plants that has resulted in what you see now."

"Oh. Do you have any news from camp, Lady Demeter?" asked the son of Poseidon. Zeus had specifically forbidden Percy from going to the world of the living before the year was up, but that didn't mean Demeter didn't keep him up-to-date on more important things.

"Cabin Six still flourishes. My daughter Katie wants to meet you most ardently, but are you ready to move on from Annabeth?" The goddess looked at Perseus carefully.

The demigod looked troubled, "No. I don't think so. I'm still coming to terms with talking to her yesterday, ma'am. I'm not ready for anything else yet."

Demeter nodded, "Good. If nothing else, you have learned to be honest with me. Now, the field isn't going to tend to itself."

‡—XXXXX—‡

 **Time Skip: Two Months (12/25/2016)**

Percy rolled out of bed as he usually did, beating the clock by five minutes -more than enough to put on good, working clothes before Demeter arrived with breakfast. After all, with grand total of three personal possessions -not counting clothes- there wasn't much else to do.

The Goddess of the Harvest didn't disappoint, flashing in just as the alarm sounded. This time, though, something was clearly different. For one, the dishes were Christmas-themed and for two, Demeter was humming "Feliz Navidad" to herself. With a start, Perseus realized it _was_ Christmas. The Underworld didn't exactly snow in winter. Which was great as a farmer, not so great when trying to tell the seasons.

"Lady Demeter, why would a Greek Goddess celebrate a Christian festival?" asked Percy curiously.

"Call me Demeter, Perseus. I think we've know each other for long enough to dispense with formalities." She placed the plates on the small table that Percy did everything he needed to do at, before turning to him, "I'm celebrating the winter solstice. Even a goddess needs a few days off."

"With all the Roman festivals, I thought you had more off-days then on-days." Percy smiled cheekily, a good sign of how far he had come.

"Ceres certainly does, though my other half certainly doesn't let it interfere. When Romans work, they work hard and the same for parties." Demeter smiled as she watched the demigod eat. She couldn't believe how much he improved in the last month. It seemed that speaking with Annabeth was something he needed to get off his back before he could take strides in the right direction.

Percy also smiled, remembering some of the wild times he had in New Rome in the celebrations of the Giant War ending, "That's true. Sometimes, I thought the California police would hear it and come knocking."

"That was nothing compared to Saturnalia. On the few days gambling is legal, it's hard to find a Roman not losing money to someone else." Demeter remembered the Roman Empire wistfully, before turning back to her charge, "I'm giving you half the day off."

This Percy openly frowned at, "You taught me that I get out of the field what I put into it, and I was supposed to harvest the wheat. I can't do that in half a day. You also said I was working for the land, not you. No offense, ma'am."

"I have taught you well, Perseus. Don't worry, I will help you harvest it." Demeter said, then caught Percy's look, "No, I will not be using my powers. Four hands are better than two."

"Deal."

‡—XXXXX—‡

Percy wiped his brow before tying down the last bushel of wheat while Demeter looked over the now half-barren field at the barley.

"Looks like the barley is growing well." commented the goddess as Percy grunted, hoisting up three entire bushels and moving them to the edge the field.

"Can't you sense it?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Demeter shrugged, "This field has been practically untouched by my influence, and I would prefer it to stay that way. Besides, barley cannot provide conversation. Not like the animals you can converse with."

"After this, I'm pretty sure the barley would be scared wheat-less." Percy chuckled at his pun, while Demeter was wearing a fake frown.

"That was horrid, Perseus. In fact, I believe it barley counts as a pun." That Demeter held a straight face through the whole exchange was impressive.

Percy shrugged, "Believe me, it's only that you're a goddess that I'm not rice-ing to that insult."

"I know. Although, it is hard to navigate this maize of bad puns." Now was when Demeter's mask cracked and let a wry grin through.

"At least now you aren't trying to keep a straight face. That rye smile has me worried, though . . ."

"Yes, it should. You're going to have to be pretty teff to survive my grain puns." Demeter was enjoying this as much as Perseus was. She hardly had any pun with Persephone anymore -that girl was either bored or tired the whole day.

The son of Poseidon threw up his arms in surrender, "I give up. That last one clearly spelt my defeat."

"Good. Now, can we peas get back to work?" asked Demeter, certain she had he demigod beaten.

"That's not fair!" Percy protested, "Peas aren't even a grain!"

His argument was shot down by the goddess, "Yes they are and I would know. Now, where would you like to go?"

This had Perseus thinking, before finally making up his mind, "Can I ask Annabeth to take me on a tour of Elysium?"

"Certainly." Demeter snapped her fingers, then the son of Poseidon appeared in front of Annabeth's ghostly door.

Percy still had no idea how it all worked, he just knew two thinks: One, he could touch the door and two, he couldn't touch Annabeth. He took a deep breath and prepared himself before knocking.

"Come in." called the daughter of Athena.

The demigod opened the door and stepped inside, looking at the ghost of Annabeth Chase. She was sitting at a loom, weaving something that Perseus couldn't see but knew would probably turn out to be amazing.

"I never thought you'd weave for fun, Annabeth." Percy said, taking a seat at a desk before turning the chair to face his late girlfriend.

"And I never thought _you_ would be a farmer, Seaweed Brain." she shot back, "It's theraputic."

"That reminds me, I liked your laptop password." Percy now wore a shit-eating grin as he met Annabeth's stormy grey eyes.

This caused Annabeth to smile, "Thank you, I assumed even you would be able to figure it out."

"I only figured out the password -the only two things I know how to run are Chrome and Minecraft." Percy shrugged.

Annabeth face-palmed, "Of course the computer with the single _best_ engineering and architectural programs goes to the _one_ person who doesn't care about it. . ."

"Hey! I'm a farmer, not a quantum engineer." They both laughed.

"What's keeping you from your crops, then?" asked Annabeth.

Percy smiled, "Demeter helped me harvest the wheat and gave me the rest of the day off, oh daughter of Brainiac-ness. I could take you on one last date, but I have no idea where anything is here."

This, of course, got the daughter of Athena thinking, "I know a few places . . . It _is_ Christmas, after all."

An hour later, they were inside a theatre, watching some black and white movie. Practically every seat was occupied, but Annabeth was apparently a regular here so the owner let the living demigod in as well. Currently, a angel who wanted to earning his wings was talking to George Bailey, "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

At this point Percy leaned over and whispered, "How old is this movie, again?"

"Oh, hush. It's a classic, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth made to nudge the living demigod with her shoulder, only for that same shoulder to pass through Percy's skin. That was certainly a mood killer.

Together, they sat and watched the rest of _It's a Wonderful Life_ , then both _Miracle On Thirty-Fourth Streets_ and _Charlie Brown Christmas_. All the classics, and _Scrooge_ certainly wasn't out before the kinda-couple left the theater.

Once outside, Annabeth did her best to take Percy's hands and looked him in the eyes, "Don't feel obliged to not grow close to another girl. I'll be happy for you if you can fall in love again, but it's clear we both have to accept that you're alive and I'm dead. Please, for both of us."

Tears filled both of their eyes, but Percy nodded jerkily and forced some words out, "My heart will always be yours, Annabeth. Anyone else will just have to make do with what's left. And . . . you find happiness where you can too, Owl Head."

Annabeth replied with a sharp nod of her own, insubstantial tears flowing freely down ghostly cheeks. Both of them were crying, albiet silently. Even after taking a deep breath, Annabeth's voice still cracked when she spoke, "I-If you ever want to talk, as a friend, I'll be -I'll be here."

The son of Poseidon wanted to badly to take Annabeth in his arms -made powerful from his farming- and draw comfort from her. But there was no comfort to be had in death's cold embrace, so all he do was back away, "I'll see you again. _I promise._ "

* * *

 **A/N: I know I said he would be at the Hunter's camp at the end of the chapter, so sorry. Please don't hunt me down and kill me, I just couldn't think of a better ending than that, and I want to put in a bit of emotion before Percy becomes depressed and suicidal again (yep, remember Hades?). If you like my Demeter, please tell me so that I can see how much I should integrate her in the plot. Or would that go against the grain (ha ha) of a Pertemis story (as a surrogate mother)?**

 **I honestly had no idea I could come up with eight separate grain puns in a conversation. If any of you didn't get any of them:**

 **Wheat-less = Wit-less**

 **Barley = Barely**

 **Rice-ing = Rising**

 **Maize = Maze**

 **Rye = Wry**

 **Teff = Tough**

 **Spelt = Spelled**

 **Peas = Please**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, Percy will definitely meet the Hunt this chapter. Oh, and a bushel = 60 lbs.**

 **Thank you for your reviews! Tinymidget, I struggle to accept that you think I'm a better writer than Anaklusmos, but I'm glad you think that of whatever skill I have at writing.**

Chapter 4-

 **Time Skip: Five Days (12/30/2016)**

Percy frowned at the half-field of wheat with one month of growth under it's belt. What would happen to it when the son of Poseidon left tomorrow?

The barley, on the other hand, was ready and waiting to be harvested. The son of Poseidon didn't disappoint, wielding the sickle Demeter had provided long ago with great effect. One bushel grew into two, into four, into twelve and still the demigod was harvesting. Twenty came and went, as did thirty and forty. At fifty bushels, the son of Poseidon wiped his brow and looked at the small section of the field he had left. Not more than five bushels later, the field was empty but for the young stalks of wheat. The day had grow darker too, the sunlight Apollo provided this deep underground waning as the day grew to a close.

It grew dark as Percy sat at the edge of the field, looking at what he had spent a year producing. This was a good life, he thought. Pity it wasn't lasting forever.

A reminder of that fact came from Demeter, having flashed in and taken a seat next to Perseus, "You leave tomorrow."

He nodded, "I am."

Demeter took a deep breath, knowing whatever Hades did to him wouldn't be pleasant, "I have a few options for you, about the field. I can freeze the growth of the wheat, and even the processes of the soil for if you return. Or I can tend to it myself."

"Really?" Percy looked over at the goddess, "I was under the impression that I would never see it again. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would like the former of the two options"

Demeter sighed, "After your four months with my son-in-law and a few more with the Hunters, I think I should be able to convince the gods to let you return here. If you want to, of course."

This was certainly a piece of good news for the son of Poseidon. "Thank you so much, Demeter. I've enjoyed it here. Do you have any idea what being a slave to Hades means?"

The goddess shrugged, "I do not know. Hopefully, he has you completing menial tasks for a few months. Tying his shoes or something like that. But . . ."

"But you don't think I'll be that lucky?" asked Percy.

Demeter shook her head, "Hades' vindictiveness and spitefulness are legends, along with his cruelty. But you already know that. If all else fails, I may be able to hide you where he'll never find you."

Percy got up and stretched, "I'll just have to see, won't I? Goodnight, Demeter."

‡—XXXXX—‡

A savage shove woke Percy the next morning, followed by Hades' cruel voice, "Get up, boy. I have a task for you."

Blearily was the right word for the demigod at this time, yet the command in Hades' voice gave him no other choice than to bolt to his feet. He was also well prepared for what to expect from Hades, courtesy of Demeter, "Sir?"

"Follow me, _boy_." Hades ordered, then turned and strode away. After a quick mental debate of whether to get dressed into more suitable clothes or follow right away, Percy strode down the hallway after his new "master".

The King of the Dead led the son of Poseidon through his palace, stopping before a door. After a half-second, Percy realized what Hades wanted and quickly scurried around the god, opening the door for him. Hades strode through, looking powerful and imposing as he entered his throneroom. Persephone was sitting one her through, power and queenly. In fact, she radiated authority much as Hades did. It appeared that only in her mother's presence did Persephone play the role of a daughter. When Demeter was absent, the Goddess of Spring was gone and in her place was the Queen of the Underworld. However, her more morbid role did not make her any less the beauty Hades had been so entranced with millenia ago.

And so Hades took his own throne before looking down on Perseus, "Bow before your betters, sea spawn."

A a little more than a year ago, this would have the son of Poseidon respond with a cheeky comment. Now was a different son of the sea, who went to his knees and carefully pressed his forehead to the ground in a sign of subservience. Percy had gotten the sense this was a test that started the moment he had rolled -or rather, was shoved- out of bed.

"Rise, slave." called Persephone, her voice rich and musical. The demigod took to his feet, looking like he had no reaction to being called a slave -but inside, he was seething.

He kept his silence, though, sensing that any outburst would to little good and much evil at this time. Hades appeared satisfied by his subservience for the time, "Boy, see to my shoes. When you are finished, return here and wait for my return."

Percy bowed again, not getting to his knees but none the less a deep bow from the waist, then left the throneroom and covertly waited outside the doors. Not knowing where Hades kept his shoes, he was left with either wandering the palace until he found it, or hoping the two of them dropped a hint while they left.

Minutes later, when it was clear the son of Poseidon wasn't going to return to ask for directions, Hades stood and offered a hand to his wife. Persephone had a sad smile on her face as she accepted the hand, her delicate fingers being taken by Hades' strong grip.

"Does boy knows where you keep the shoes?" Persephone asked as they walked to the door of the throneroom.

"No, my beloved. He is likely to spend hours wandering the palace until he returns here and chances on the room." replied Hades as he held the door open for his wife, before stepping through behind her and taking her in a strong embrace, "But enough about the slave. This is our last day together for six lonely months."

"Mmm." was Persephone's reply, before capturing her husband's lips in her own. Percy, behind the door, held his breath in case even the slightest noise alerted the two gods of his presence. He had no doubt Hades would resent being disturbed from a passionate kiss from his wife -a kiss that may soon turn to something more. And by then, Percy had better be long gone.

The god and goddess released each other, Persephone catching a quick breath before speaking again, "Perhaps we should continue this in our bedchamber. . . . ."

Then they both flashed away, leaving Percy to sigh in relief before starting a search for Hades' shoe room. Hades said it was "here," so it had to be close. So he began checking rooms, opening every door in a spiral from the throneroom's door..

To say there were a lot of shoes would be awarded the "understatement of the year" award for the next century. This was more like a corridor, lined with just about every shoe, boot, or anything worn on the foot that one could imagine: From a woman's slippers, to the Middle Ages _sabaton,_ to the sneakers of today.

Percy sighed, "This'll be a _long_ day . . ."

‡—XXXXX—‡

The son of Poseidon sighed with relief as he ran a brush for the last time over a pair of blue suede shoes, then placed them back to their proper place on the shelves. His arms ached when he reached up to place them there, then ached again as he stretched them. Apparently, leather shoes were to be shined, seude was supposed to be brushed, and cambrella was to be washed. All other fabrics of shoes were sorted into those three catagories as best the demigod could, but he was sure a few mistakes were made. Still, the job was done and Perseus recalled his instructions from before. _W_ _hen you are finished, return here and wait for_ _my_ _return._

Perseus turned back to the throneroom, but his steps hesitated when he reached the hallway Hades marched him down.

"Hades probably won't be back for another few hours," Percy mused out loud, unsettled by the quite around him. In the farm, there would be the rustle of wheat or barley, the footsteps of the horse and the comforting scrape of the plow through the soil. Of course, one time the horse went lame and Percy was forced to pull the plow, but that was a memory for another day.

Making up his mind, the demigod strode into his very spartan room, retrieving his journal and walking back to the throneroom.

 _1/31/2017- Journal Four-Hundred One_

 _Today I cleaned/shined shoes. If my math isn't failing me -which it probably is- it was something like four or five hundred pairs. Boy, do my arms hurt. I guess working in the field help prepare me for this, though. Imagine if I had to do that while I was still cutting my arms . . . ouch. And I wouldn't have been working that year, so . . . yeah. Hades was a bit more, I dunno, vindictive than I expected, but-_

"What is that?" growled Hades as he stormed into the throneroom. He looked mad, very mad.

"Nothing, Lord Hades." I replied carefully, while performing the full bent-knees-and-forehead-on-the-ground bow.

"Nothing, eh?" His voice didn't get any less angry, "Give it to me."

"Lord Hades, -"

He was cut off by the King of the Underworld, "If it's nothing, it can't be very important to you then, can it? Give it to me, _sea spawn_. Now!"

But Percy still resisted. The journal had been a part of him for more than a year, "Sir, I do not believe-"

"Give it to me!" roared the god, "Or I will consign your dead friends to Punishment!"

Percy's blood turned to ice in his veins, and his heart nearly skipped a beat. He couldn't let that happen to Annabeth, or Beckendorf, or Leo, or anyone else who had died. Clearly unwillingly but lacking a better option, the son of Poseidon held out the journal -which the enraged god tore in half and tossed the two halves behind his back before grabbing Percy's arm and dragging him away.

"The torturers need some new ideas to be tested, _slave_." Hades growled, his voice on the border of a shout, "If you _ever_ try to resist, your friends will be thrown into Punishment. Starting with that son of Hephaestus and ending with your dead girlfriend."

Even hours later, Hades' palace echoed with the screams of a young man pushed beyond his limits of pain, clinging to sanity with a single thought: _This is my penance for failing Annabeth._

In one day, the Vengeful One had undone everything Demeter had spent eight months trying to create . . .

‡—XXXXX—‡

 **Time Skip: Four Months and One Day (5/1/2017)**

Perseus was kneeling in front of Hades, waiting as the god talked to Persephone via Iris Message and all but dead to the world. The last four months had been tough for him: Scars circled up his arms and legs, some of them still leaking blood. A vertical cut crossed over his right eye from a rogue hellhound he was tasked to destroy. Deep furrows in his back were from when Hades wrapped him in bratwurst and threw him into the hellhound pens -for a bit of "entertainment". He had been used as a vent for Hades' anger more times than he could remember, but he didn't care. This Perseus hardly cared about anything anymore -aside from not angering the Silent One.

Eventually, the Lord of the Dead cut the connection and looked at the demigod, "It appears your stay here is over. Gather your possessions and return in five minutes."

Percy, without saying a word, turned and headed back to his room. Dimly, he recalled the sunlight of the world above, and the people in it. Gods who were more than Hades, demigods other than Nico. A half-forgotten memory arose of a blond-hair, but that was quickly shaken out his mind. Hades was his master. His commands were all that stood between that head of hair being in Elysium or Punishment. Thus, Hades ruled.

The demigod carefully reached under his straw bed and withdrew a necklace he was attached to, but couldn't remember why. It was from a life outside the Underworld, and thus wasn't important. But Percy couldn't bear to have it taken from him like the book and the dagger, going so far as to hide it in his room. It got folded and tucked into the tunic he now wore, the beads rubbing against his heavily scared skin.

Hades had forced him to wear traditional Greek or Roman clothing, or else. It was a pure black tunic, Hades' favorite color, and went from his shoulders to mid-knee, with quarter-sleeves. It didn't impair movement, and the wide belt that gathered the tunic at the waist was perfect for holding sheathes -all that mattered, to Perseus. Then the rooster-clock was taken by the demigod as well, a memento from a time he remembered mostly clearly.

Perseus returned to the throneroom, entering silently and bowing -with his forehead pressed to the ground- to his master. Three objects clattered to the floor in front his head.

"Rise, slave." commanded Hades, giving the demigod an opportunity to see the objects as he got to his feet. Two halves of the book from his dimly-remembered past and a sheathed dagger that had once belonged to the blonde. "Those are your property. Thank me, slave. You may speak."

"Thank you, oh King of the Underworld, Lord of the Dead, Rich One, Silent One, Feared One, Great One, Eldest One, master." recited the demigod dully, no spirit or any feeling at all in his voice.

"You will find Artemis, and be her servant for the rest of your life." said the god, more as a reminder than anything else. But he also felt a vindictive pleasure of controlling the uppity brat that his son was always talking about. Him and that spawn of the Apollo, Solace . . .

While he was speaking, Perseus had grabbed the dagger and the two halves of the journal. Hades growled, "Did I tell you that you could take them? Uppity wretch!"

A kick from Hades' booted foot sent the demigod sprawling. No words came from the son of Poseidon's mouth. He knew that if he spoke to apologize, he could get beaten. Same if he didn't apologize. But he didn't care anymore; This was his penance for failing the one with blond hair. How he failed her, the demigod couldn't remember. But he did, and that's all that mattered.

"You're lucky I am feeling merciful today. You're also lucky that you aren't worth the time it would take to deliver the beating you deserve." Hades said, then waved his hand and flashed the demigod away.

‡—XXXXX—‡

Artemis was hunting. No surprise there, this hour was reserved specifically for solitary hunting: Every other day, between five and six in the afternoon was when she walked into the forest the Hunt had situated itself in, losing herself in the tracking of whatever prey the trees had to offer. This time, though, her arrow was going to strike a different kind of prey as she had completely forgotten that one year had passed since the council meeting when Perseus was sentenced to the Underworld.

The same Perseus -a male- who had killed _five_ females; Such a crime was grave in the eyes of the Hunt.

Soon the Goddess of the Moon chanced on a different kind of tracks: Ones left by shoes that weren't the Hunt's boots. Footprints that reminded her of the ancient world, when rubber was mostly unknown and wood sandals ruled supreme in the warm grass of Greece. Curiosity piqued, the goddess followed them and stepped lightly on the ground which was made wet by yesterday's rain.

The footsteps continued, until the goddess took sight of someone silently walking away from the Hunt's camp. A someone wearing a black tunic with Greek sandal-shoes. His arms were covered in scars, and led up into some of the broadest shoulders Artemis seen. Clearly, this man -boy, she corrected herself- was as strong as an ox. But he was silently moving away from the Hunt's camp, as if returning from something important. His hands were in front of him and out of Artemis' sight, likely clutching a weapon.

He stopped and looked around while Artemis hid, obviously checking for anyone following him after his mission was complete, whatever it was. In truth, the son of Poseidon was lost and looking for the Hunt's camp. Pure, dumb luck had him going in the opposite direction.

"Halt, male." ordered Artemis, an arrow nocked on the string of her bow. It would be drawn and fired in the space of a second if needed. The male immediately stopped at the authority in her voice -subservience had been beaten into him from four months under Hades' thumb. He didn't turn, however -no one told him to do so.

Artemis waited for the male to turn and confront her, only for him not to do so, "Face me, _male_."

The demigod turned until he faced the goddess, standing as still and silent as a stone. Or, more fitting to his stature, a boulder. Then his legs bent as he got to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground in a sign of subservience. In his hands was a clock shaped like a rooster, not a weapon in any form of the word.

Artemis was shocked by what she saw. It was Perseus, she knew, but her mind couldn't connect the boy she had seen before to the bowing male in front of her. The son of Poseidon she remember never had a scar running down his left eye, nor did he had more lacerating his arms or legs. The son of Poseidon she remembered didn't have dead eyes, nor did he even stand that way. The son of Poseidon was well-built, this male was _very_ heavily muscled. He completely different, yet wore Percy's face. And the Perseus she had met did not seem to know respect.

To her credit, that was all buzzing in the back of her mind as she spoke with – more like spoke to- the male, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Perseus Jackson, ma'am. To meet you." answered the male, in as few words as possible while his forehead was still on the ground..

"Why?" demanded Artemis, "And get to your feet."

Percy climbed up again before responding with the answer she feared, "Servitude, ma'am."

Artemis sighed, but at least _looked_ strong, The Hunt would probably accept someone to do all the chores. Besides, this was a mandate from the council, "Fine. The camp is behind me, go and wait."

Without replying, the son of Poseidon -careful not to touch the goddess- passed her and started walking towards the camp while Artemis flashed to the camp itself -wasting as little time as possible before getting back to her solo hunting.

"Hunters!" announced Artemis, at the head of the table the Hunters were eating it, "If you remember, a year ago Perseus Jackson was sentenced to spending twelve months in the Underworld before returning to be our servant. Obviously, those months have passed and the demigod is on his way now."

Then Artemis flashed away, leaving the Hunters to talk amongst themselves. Some of the newer Hunters were quickly told just who Perseus was and what he'd done. Most of them remembered _why_ he had been sent to the Underworld, but most of them also weren't especially fond of the Ares Cabin. That he'd killed them to defend a girl also earned a few points, enough for most the Hunters to decide _not_ to kill him on sight -but that didn't mean they'd play nice.

Soon, Percy entered the clearing and saw the Hunters eating dinner, probably a freshly hunted stag or elk. Once they noticed him, the Hunters immediately snatched all the food that wasn't already on a plate -half from dislike, half as a test to see how the demigod would react: Would he start blustering and arrogantly demand food like most boorish males, or weakly ask for some?

The answer was neither, as that action failed to draw a reaction from him. Percy passed the table on by, walking until he reached the center of the camp, standing next to the fire that usually crackled there. Then he stopped, still and silent as if waiting for instructions. And after being Hades' slave for four months, he was.

Meanwhile Artemis crept through the foliage, quietly tracking a deer through the undergrowth. It was nearly fifteen yards away and presenting it's side to the goddess: a perfect firing position.

Carefully and silently, the aformentioned goddess drew a hunting arrow and bent the bow before slowly breathing out and releasing the taut bowstring. The doe, startled by the _whip_ of the bow, began to leap away before the arrow hit, scarlet blood flowing down it's flank as the goddess approached.

She knelt next to the deer, whispering a quick blessing before retrieving the arrow and flashing the deer back to camp. It was time to see just how badly the Hunt had beaten up Percy . . .

‡—XXXXX—‡

Percy wasn't getting beaten up at all. In fact, he as being left alone by a Hunt with another thing on it's mind: Dinner. Once the demigod had made his intentions clear and not moved from the fire, the Hunt had eagerly returned to their meal and almost forgotten about him entirely. That is, until they were finished.

"Hey, Naomi!" Thalia called, "Your turn to wash!"

"Come on, Thalia! Get the servant to do it." replied the once-dead Hunter, "I mean, he has to be here for a reason, right?"

A chorus of voices joined hers, Pheobe's being prominent among them. Percy, not having been addressed stayed right where he was. Hades didn't like his slaves showing initiative.

"Male! Didn't you hear me? Get washing!" ordered Pheobe. Obediently and without questioning her authority, the demigod began to collect plates and silverware while the Hunt left. Thalia and a few others discretely looked on, the former not believing what Hades had done to her old friend. Even best friend, now that both Luke and Annabeth were dead.

The demigod worked like a machine, holding the plates in a giant stack and taking them into a tent labeled "Kitchen." Keen observance was a crucial skill, honed by Hades' irritation at having to provide directions when Percy couldn't find something.

Inside, it was remarkably similar to the Camp Half-Blood kitchens: A potbelly oven, grill, freezer, and sink on one side, while the other had two giant basins and faucets that were clearly meant to be used for washing. With the thought of using his powers never entering him mind, Perseus filled the basins and dumped the plates in before returning for the silverware. And that -of course- is when Artemis returned.

"What are you doing?" asked Artemis, careful to keep her voice neutral. She would have to see what her Hunt thought of this new addition before influencing them one way or another.

"Washing, ma'am." was Perseus' reply, automatically getting to his knees and pressing his forehead into the dirt.

"Why?" pressed Artemis. "And continue your task."

"Orders, ma'am." Percy stood and entered the kitchen, continuing the chore while Artemis became more frustrated with the one-word answers.

"Who's orders?"

This one Percy considered for a while, pulling names out of the dark murk that was the memory of his past. "Pheobe, Naomi and others, Lady Artemis."

Artemis filed the answer away, finding nothing wrong with what he was doing, "While you are here, you will follow my rules."

This was greeted with silence, and Artemis slowly began to realize he wouldn't reply unless being told to, "If you understand me, say yes."

"Yes." replied Perseus, flat and emotionless.

"Good. The first rule is this: Even _look_ at my Hunters in a way I don't want you to, and I will castrate you. Harm them, and much worse will happen. Second, you will call all of my Hunters and I either ma'am or Lady." rattled off Artemis, thinking before she created the next rule, "Third, you bow only to me. And bow from the waist, not on your knees. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Four: You will obey my Hunters and I. Whatever they want you to do, you will do unless it contradicts me, in which case you will ask _me_ first. Lastly, there will be a list of chores provided to you at the beginning of each day. Those chores _must_ be completed by the next day."

"Yes."

"Very well. When you're done here, I have a deer that needs skinning and cleaning." Artemis started to leave, before sensing a problem and turning back, "Do you know how?"

"Yes." That answer was starting to get on Artemis' nerves, but she let it slid and left. Percy wasn't exactly _thankful_ of his experiences of both skinning rogue hellhounds and butchering cows for Hades' table, but those skills were convenient here.

Percy kept washing, scalding water feeling only slightly warm against his skin as he scrubbed plates and silverware with what he took to be soap. The dull, repetitive work didn't make his arms ache or even _twinge_ after being used for over an hour, courtesy of the farmwork -and latter shoe-work- that had toned his arms.

At last, the final few forks were wiped off and Percy headed outside again, seeing the deer carcass hanging from a tree branch near the fire. But, before he could begin, a good skinning knife was required, After all, the skin would probably end up in Artemis' tent, just as Hades loved a good hellhound pelt for a carpet.

Luckily, he found one in a tent marked "Armory and Supplies" and returned to the deer, first making a few long cuts up from the groin of the deer.

Artemis was doing something else: Watching. This wasn't unusual by any meaning of the word -she usually watched new members of the Hunt, to make sure they were mixing well. If the Hunt clearly wasn't the place for the girl, she would contact the Amazons. This, however, was a different case.

She saw Percy hang the deer by the throat, then deftley start removing it's organs. The intestines, stomach, lungs, and anus were put aside for burying, while the liver and heart were kept for possible eating. Then he skinned it, Artemis having to keep her eyes from wandering to his _muscular_ arms. . .

The skinning took a great deal of strength -usually, two or three of her Hunters would join together to pull the skin off it's body. Percy made it look effortless as he also laid the skin aside -there was plenty of fat that needed to be removed later, but now the deer needed his attention.

The "cleaning" ended with the deer laid in pieces in the Hunt's freezer, and there it would wait until someone wanted to cook it. Now Artemis approached him, "You may sleep now, or do whatever else you do in your spare time."

After nodding, Percy left without another word, not bothering to ask Artemis if he could have a tent and not caring if he could or couldn't. Instead he sat next to the fire and looked into it's depths, before drawing the blonde's dagger.

 **Θάνατος- σήμανση Αγάπη**

 _Death-marked Love._ The translation was effortless now, as the demigod had spent many a night in the Underworld looking at it -before Hades had taken it and denied him even that link to the past.

As he watched, the flickering light of the fire reflected from the blade of Annabeth's dagger, throwing the Greek letters into sharp relief. Originally, the demigod just meant to look at the blade and see if it needed to be sharpened. But, as he turned it over and over, he began to remember those events that Hades had repressed. Flashes of blond hair, stormy grey eyes, and a flashing knife that killed monsters with breathtaking ease. He vaguely saw himself in the background, holding a bronze sword and battling a Cyclops. A tower rose in the background, that eventually narrowed into a spire -New York. At the top, blue lights streaked into the clouds before being blocked by invisible servants of the air.

Percy shook the memory out of his head. Hades said it didn't matter, so it didn't and the son of Poseidon had better not think about it -or else. The dagger returned to his waist as he laid back, the ground made soft by grass and rain. Then, he slept.

-Dream-

He was in a tent. A tent vaguely recognizable by the sheer number of animal pelts decorating the place. Artemis was lying in a bed in the center of the tent, covered by a thick, fur blanket. Percy didn't remember how he got there, but didn't care and didn't bother moving. A timberwolf was stretched out on a deerskin rug right next to the bed, snoring softly before growling in it's sleep.

Artemis' hand stoked the wolf's fur, not getting out of bed, "Quiet, Amber . . . I'm trying to sleep . . ."

Then her eyes shot open as she felt someone watching her, which usually wasn't good for the watcher, "Perseus!? What are- Get out!"

Perseus turned and left the tent without saying a word, then stood outside with no drive or spirit to do anything other than wait to wake up. Meanwhile, Artemis got out of the bed and changed from her rather revealing -to her- nightgown to a standard Hunter uniform: Silver jacket over a white shirt, silver camo pants and black combat boots. She was also quite determined to find out how and why Percy entered her tent -and punish him accordingly.

The Goddess of Hunting also readied her bow. If Percy tried to put up a fight, it would be a fight he'd quickly lose.

 **A/N: So, Artemis and Perseus are sharing dreams . . . . Do you want this (them dreaming in the same dream every time they go to sleep) to be permanent, a one-time thing, or do you hate it so badly I should edit it out? I need a way for Artemis and Percy to interact outside of the Hunt's eyes while thinking it wasn't real -a hallucinogen came to mind, but this seemed like a better solution than both of them getting drugged every once and a while.**

 **Oh, and I haven't forgotten about The Proctor of Judgment, I just have a massive case of writer's block on it. Which is why I started this story.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for not telling you, but I took a few weeks off from writing. I'm back now, so hopefully you can get basically regular updates.**

* * *

Chapter 5-

Percy bolted upright next to the smoldering remains of the fire from the night before, lethargically looking himself over. No arrow sticking out of his neck, so he was, at least, alive -still not sure if that was a good thing. He pulled himself into a sitting position, looking at the embers and shivered slightly in the cold northern morning. The son of Poseidon had no idea where they were, but it didn't matter -only the chores he was going to be given did.

As he watched, the embers slowly grew until there was a cheery little fire crackling again -pity it didn't match the demigod who was watching it. That demigod's gaze was as hard to reconcile with the girl inside the fire as it was to the goddess who walked up to him, tossing a piece of paper next to him. "Your chores. Start working, I expect them done by tomorrow."

Mechanically, Percy picked up the piece of paper before going to the kitchens and taking a sponge to the dinning tables. They would be cleaned before and after each meal, according to the list.

Artemis left him there, flashing to the Palace of Wheat.

‡—-‡—-‡—-‡—-XXXXX-—‡-—‡-—‡-—‡

"Demeter!" called the Goddess of the Moon.

"Coming!" was the reply, then the goddess flashed in front of Artemis, "Has he arrived?"

"Yes."

Demeter disappeared, reappearing in the Hunter's camp. Her eyes quickly caught sight of the young man cleaning the table, "Perseus?"

The demigod turned and his knees bent until he was folded at the waist and his forehead touched the ground. He was silent.

"Enough of this, Perseus." Demeter chastised, annoyed. She pulled the son of Poseidon to his feet, then saw his eyes: Dull, dead, and joyless word a few of the many words she would use to describe them. The goddess actually staggered back at the sight, and the realization that all of her work was for naught.

"Say something!" asked Demeter desperately, not believing that the man who had shown such careful attention to his crops and also sprouted puns on occasion was so lifeless now. Where was the spirit that was Perseus Jackson?

"You honor me with your esteemed presence, Lady Demeter." was Percy's reply, spoken in a monotone.

This nearly had Demeter in tears, but she was a very formidable woman and pushed them down. She needed to help the demigod, not cry her eyes out in front of him. "Do you know how this happened, niece?"

Artemis shrugged, "Return to work, Perseus. And I have no idea what happened, aunt. Judging by your reaction, it was nothing you did."

Despite her best efforts, a tear formed at the corner of Demeter's eye. She wiped it away before continuing, "Persephone would have left the day of his arrival, so I don't believe she would know much either."

"Hades."

"Hades." Demeter confirmed. They both knew that from the beginning, but were desperately hoping to be wrong. "I can't force you into this, Artemis, but I _will_ be trying to return Perseus to the demigod he was at the end of his eight months with me -or even to the frame of mind he had before Annabeth died. If you won't aid me in this matter, I beg of you not to block my efforts."

Artemis shook her head once, before walking back to her tent, "I'll help the boy as well -he earned my respect before the daughter of Athena was killed. And seeing anyone like this is inhuman."

"I'm sensing a 'But' here." Demeter said, looking at her niece's eyes.

"Yes. I don't know how and I can't justify spending this much time with a male to the rest of the Hunt." Artemis looked at her tent, her gaze settling on a particular deer-skin, "I have no idea who Perseus was before Annabeth died."

"Truthfully, I do not know either." replied the Goddess of the Harvest.

"I may be able to help you with that." said a new voice, then Hestia stepped out of the heater in one corner of the tent, "I've watched him at Camp Half-Blood, and my other half has done the same at Camp Jupiter -while sane, anyways. I know who Perseus needs to be in the end."

"Should we include anyone else in this?" Demter asked, "Poseidon, his mother?"

Glances were exchanged, then Hestia shook her head, "No. Poseidon would probably attack Hades, and Sally Blofis seeing this . . . it wouldn't be wise."

"So what do I do?" questioned Artemis, a bit annoyed with the somewhat off-topic discussion.

Demeter shrugged, "Percy is difficult. What I've found after eight months is that you can help a great deal by pushing to his limits -but if you push him past them, he'll find a way to blame himself for it, call it his penance for failing Annabeth. In this situation, Artemis, have him do the chores. All the chores. But do your best to stop the Hunters from trying to make his life miserable. We want to heal him, not make this his private Tartaurus."

Hestia nodded, "The first thing we need to do is try to restore his emotions -and maybe even his memories. Yesterday night, after he skinned the deer, he took out Annabeth's dagger and looked at it. But there wasn't any recognition in his gaze -as if the dagger was just a dagger to him, and not the prized possession of his late lover."

"Can Hades do that?" asked Artemis, surprised at this revelation. Stealing memories was easy; Taking away memories and not reducing the owner of the memories to a drooling idiot was nearly impossible, depending on how strong those memories were.

"I do not know. Hades doesn't need the ability to do this; The human body has a tendency to protect itself and prevail in times of physical, mental, or emotional stress. For instance, the way a man or woman can become so terrified they actually begin thinking clearly again. It is quite possible that Perseus could've unintentionally repressed those memories to keep his sanity." This, again, was a new voice. Athena, having heard the discussion from Olympus, decided to step in. "As for his emotions, Hades could have beaten them out of him simply by cause-and-effect. If he is happy, Hades could or would beat him. If he is crying, Hades could or would beat him. Eventually, he would stop feeling anything at all."

"Any ideas, niece?" Hestia asked desperately. After Nico had introduced Perseus to her, the son of Poseidon had often stopped by the fire to talk to her. Just another reason to see him healed.

The goddess, for all her wisdom, shrugged, "He's a young man, not an equation."

Artemis scowled, "I like the kind of problem I can stab. Can't I just threaten Hades until he does something?"

But Demeter was already shaking her head, "Hades . . . no. Not anymore than we can. I think that the four of us is the best bet. I know how he works, Hestia knows how he should be, Athena knows he was affected, and Artemis, you'll be closest to him."

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A few tents down, a similar but oh-so-different conversation finished between Thalia, Naomi, her sister Resuza, and a few others that Thalia was closer to than the rest of the Hunt. All of them supported Thalia in wanting to see Perseus healed; If he was as good a male as Thalia said he was, then he could become a good friend. Plus, they all felt indebt to him for taking the sky from Artemis. And if there was one thing the Hunt hated, it was owing something to a male.

Meanwhile, the table was squeaky clean and the demigod himself was at a river that winded through the middle of the camp, using an old-fashioned washboard to get dirt out of jeans and shirts -the winter parkas were rarely washed. That there was a bag of underwear in the small pile didn't even make him pause, such was his complete disregard for anything other than his task. Underwear were clothes, thus they would be washed. It didn't take him long to hang them on clotheslines and turn back to the camp. With most of the Hunters engaged elsewhere, Perseus took a feather duster and went to work.

The quartet of goddesses stepped out of Artemis' tent, deciding to observe their subject before taking action. "Perseus, ignore the four of us until I say otherwise."

Perseus got up from his forehead-to-the-floor bow to Demeter, Hestia, and Athena as Artemis said those words, then proceeded to enter the next tent.

"In my experience, Perseus would be humming a song while he works -which he obviously isn't." Demeter pointed out, "From what I've seen, there may be nothing left of Perseus. Just a shell."

"What if we try to take the memories of what Hades did away?" asked Hestia, "Then what would be left is-"

"-Is my daughter's death." Athena finished, cutting off her aunt, "From what you're told us, a suicidal, self-destructive adrenaline-junkie Perseus is not what we want either. Besides, there is no knowing what would happen. Experiences change personality, not memories. He has his entire life's story in his head, and even taking out one section would leave a major hole. Personally, I was surprised Hera's plan worked out so successfully."

This started an idea in Hestia's mind. It was an idea that would either completely screw over any help she could give the demigod, or be invaluable to healing his mind. Most likely both.

Suddenly, she stepped forward and clamped her hands on either side Percy's skull, the son of Poseidon not even struggling to break free. After all, she was a goddess and he was a lowly demigod. What right did he have to resist the a former Olympian's will?

Hestia looked into Perseus' mind, trying to determine just what Hades had done to him -what she found shocked her so much that she staggered backwards, almost falling over if it wasn't for Athena.

"We need to talk elsewhere." Hestia said, walking out of the tent. Once safely out of earshot, she turned back to the other three goddesses, "We've got a big problem."

"Very specific, Hestia." replied Artemis sarcastically.

"Perseus doesn't remember anything prior to a year ago, give or take a few days." Hestia said, ignoring Artemis and turning to the Goddess of the Harvest, "Demeter, your time with him is foggy at best."

This led to a sharp inhale of breath from the surrogate mother, "Do you know why?"

"I am no expert -not like Hypnos or Mnemosyne- but if I had to guess, I'd agree with Athena. He forgot them. Hades tortured him every day of those four months, and just beat him whenever he didn't have the time to do it properly."

"How badly?" Demeter asked.

"When I heard how Hera stole his memories, I thought he would be left a gibbering idiot with no memories at all and even still he remembered Annabeth. Now, all he remembers is someone with blond hair that he failed, and believes that all his suffering was a penance for that."

Demeter swore bitterly, "The next time I see Hades . . . When Perseus first came to me, he believed his sentence was a punishment from the Fates for letting Annabeth die. It took me five months to help with that -and even then, I could only force him to talk to Annabeth. She did the convincing."

"Can we use that again?"

Athena was shaking her head before Artemis even finished, "No. My daughter was reborn three months ago."

"So what _can_ we do?" inquired the Queen of the Gods, looking at each one in turn

Both Demeter and Hestia looked thoughtful, although the latter was the first to speak, "I can try to force Perseus to remember what happened, but he could easily reject the memories if he doesn't believe they are his own. I cannot imagine he would trust gods a great deal after his experiences with Hades. Which raises the question of where _you_ were in those four months, Demeter?"

"Spending time with my daughter." Demeter answered coolly, "Persephone came back the day Percy went to Hades. I had other things on my mind. And I have an idea."

"What?" Athena questioned, even her mighty brain stumped.

Demeter outlined her plan to the three of them, secretly pleased that Athena looked like she hadn't thought about it.

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Even while the goddess were carefully planning to heal Perseus, Thalia decided to take a more direct approach: Knocking into him while he was dusting her tent.

"Hey, Percy!" Thalia exclaimed, as if she hadn't purposefully not-quite-tackled him, "Sorry."

But the son of Poseidon simply stood there, awaiting an order or punishment for not getting out of her way. That was the way things were in the Underworld, he knew. This place seemed to be very different.

Eventually seeing that no demands or recriminations were forthcoming, Perseus returned to the dusting and left Thalia shocked at how deeply the changes ran in him. He would have to act polite and submissive in front of all the Hunt to appease Artemis. But here, in private? Shouldn't he be the annoying Kelp Head she knew?

"What's up, Seaweed Brain?" asked the daughter of Zeus, desperate for some sign of her friend.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Thalia saw something bolt through the son of Poseidon's face. It was short, but dramatic. Percy's face contorted as if trying remember something of unimaginable importance, or as if he was being tortured. But it only lasted a second, before his features smoothed over.

"The ceiling, Lady Thalia." Percy replied, apathetic and ignorant to what Thalia was really asking. The words _Seaweed Brain_ had sent what felt like a lightning blot through his mind, one that lit up some of the fog that covered his memories. For a second, the blond's face sharpened to crystal clarity and he could almost pin a name to it. Then, just as quickly, the bolt was lost in the fog.

Thalia laughed before realizing Percy wasn't joking. He literally meant the ceiling was "up."

"What's with _Lady_?" she asked, punching him in the shoulder good-naturally. Unfortunately, good natures was the last thing on Percy's mind when the hit connected. He had obviously made a mistake, and this Hunter was going to punish him for it. For that was the way things were in the Underworld.

Thalia, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on. Her friend was tensing up, his jaw tightening while his muscles flexed to resist the blows only he thought were coming. This is what really clued the daughter of Zeus in to just _how_ bad it was.

The Percy, sensing no beating was forthcoming, decided to return to the task Artemis had set him with with even more caution. Every that could possibly collect dust was carefully lifted, dusted, and placed into the _exact_ position they used to be in. Just because his master appeared to be forgiving on his first perceived mistake didn't mean she would be so lenient the next time.

The Lieutenant simply watched, shocked, at her . . . friend? Former friend? There didn't seem to be Percy in that gaze, just emptiness in the place of a formerly vibrant demigod. Something that couldn't be aloud to continue, but Thalia had no idea what to do and no idea what to make of it when the auburn-haired goddess pushed past her.

"Check on our newest addition, Lieutenant." ordered Artemis as she brushed by, not even looking at her second-in-command.

But Thalia didn't mind, she barely even registered the voice before following the order and leaving the tent, her feet automatically carrying her to the archery range while her mind was left behind.

Meanwhile, Artemis was wasting no time in doing what needed to be done, "Perseus, give me your journal."

Obediently and without hesitation, the son of the sea handed over the item that he had grown to value more the Riptide or his Minotaur horn. He silently stood at attention, waiting for more orders. Only after Artemis left did he return to his task, finishing the dusting in Thalia's tent before moving down to the next -Celyn's.

The goddess was already long gone, with three other goddesses looking over the torn object.

"Is it reparable?" asked Hestia, picking up one half of the journal and opening.

Athena shrugged, "Perhaps. It would be easier if this was woven papyrus, but I am still the Goddess of Crafts. If it can be done, I will do it."

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Surprisingly, it was late in the afternoon before the next incident took place, this one because a Hunter did want Percy in their tent -Pheobe, of course. Having a male in any way attached to the Hunt was enough to make her sick. Throw in that he was friends with Thalia -the one who had taken _her_ position- and you have a recipe for instant hate. If that same male in her tent? Just icing on the cake.

Not surprisingly, it was her fist that broke Percy's jaw and very nearly sent stumbling. But the son of Poseidon stayed stock still through the pain, careful to keep his jaw loose as the enraged Hunter buried her other fist into his stomach with the force of a sledgehammer. The demigod doubled over as Pheobe's knee came up to meet his descending face, breaking his nose as well before Pheobe grabbed him by the collar.

"If you come back here, _male_ , I will do _so_ much worse that even your little blond _whore_ won't recognize you." Pheobe spat in his face before throwing him out of the tent -face first, of course.

Percy groaned slightly as he pushed himself to his feet, but that was the only sign of weakness he allowed himself to make. Anything more would prompt another beating in the Underworld, so it would be best to continue on and hope to find some ambrosia or nectar. Hades would provide it usually a day or two after any particularly vicious beating or torture, and only when it either threatened his life of impaired his usefulness. As the servant of the Hunt didn't need his jaw or nose to work effectively, he wasn't expecting any help for at least a week. It was just his luck that the next tent he had to clean was Naomi's.

The son of Poseidon stumbled as he entered the tent, blood flowing freely from his nose and jaw while he somewhat jerkily moved the featherduster this way and that. Naomi hadn't even noticed him yet, engrossed in Minecraft -a game Thalia had recently introduced to the Hunt, which quickly led to a faction server being set up. It was only after she was waiting on some iron to smelt did Naomi stretch, looking around the tent before her eyes registered the demigod still jerkily cleaning. That, and the blood running down the front of his tunic.

" _Di immortals!_ " yelped the Hunter, who was now firmly in Thalia's camp after seeing what someone else did to him. Instinct told her that this was a punishment for getting too close or flirting with Hunter, but the way Thalia described him made it very clear he wouldn't do _anything_ he wasn't ordered to. That he appeared to be a shambling, broken male supported the theory. "Are you -of course you aren't. Give me a sec."

Naomi stood and grabbed him, guiding him to sit on her bed before doing her best to pour some nectar down his throat -in that condition, he wouldn't be able to eat any ambrosia, "Stay there while I get my Lady."

A few keystrokes were all it took to message the Lady herself over the server, which was quickly followed by a flash of light and a somewhat concerned goddess standing next to the bed, "Gather my Lieutenant and Celyn, then come to the Medical Tent."

Naomi nodded, sending a quick message to Thalia while Artemis flashed away, then ran out of the tent to get Celyn -she was rarely on the server.

The goddess carefully laid Percy on a bed, then passed a hand over his body -Celyn was the best healer in the Hunt, better than Pheobe herself. But Artemis could at least use her powers to find out exactly _what_ was broken.

What she saw didn't worry her particularly much; His nose was crushed, and his jaw broken in at least three places. Scrapes on his arms and knees, and some bruising in the stomach. Nothing worth worrying about in a servant.

Thalia was sparking with rage when she stepped inside the tent -literally- while Celyn moved to Percy's side and started working.

"Who did it?" demanded the Lieutenant, needing answers so she could beat the Hades out of whoever was responsible.

Neither Artemis nor Naomi answered, knowing that anything would set Thalia off at this point -and Thalia had a mean lighting-powered right cross that Naomi had experienced many times before. Artemis just didn't care very much -she was more concerned that the demigod had done something to warrant this punishment than who did the punishing.

"Tell me when you're done, Celyn." Artemis called as she left, Naomi right behind her. Silence descended over the tent, broken only by Celyn's hymns to her father -Apollo- and the small pops from the sparking daughter of Zeus.

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Artemis walked slowly back to her tent, mulling over what she had seen. The frame of mind Percy seemed to be in wouldn't suggest him acting untowardly to one of her Hunters, which left a question as to _what_ exactly he had done to anger a Hunter that much.

The goddess of the Hunt yawned as she went back to the tent, deciding to put it off to tomorrow. After all, her lover was waiting for her.

Pheobe wrapped her in a hug, pressing her lips to the goddess'. It was a long time before they came apart, "I miss you, lover."

"It's only been a day, Pheobe." smiled Artemis, before she pulled her Hunter in for another heated lip-lock.

"You spent all of today looking at that _male_." Pheobe snarked, "Should I be worried?"

"Oh, I don't think so. He's in the infirmary with a few broken bones." Artemis replied, wrapping her arms around the Hunter again, "I think a big, bad Hunter went after him."

Pheobe chuckled, "That might've been me."

Artemis hesitated for a second -only a second- but it was enough for her lover to notice.

"What?" asked the Hunter, "I didn't think you'd mind . . ."

The goddess shook her head, "It's not that, Pheobe. Just tell me next time, we can't have you going around injuring people."

"He's just a _male._ I'm sorry, I still haven't gotten over-"

"Over Thalia taking Zoe's place?" finished the goddess, "If you were the Lieutenant, what time would you have to spend with _me_?"

Pheobe sighed, "I guess. . . I just snapped at him."

"Remind me not to let you snap at me." Artemis said playfully.

The Hunter grinned, "I'll snap at you anytime I want to!"

"Oh, really? I'd like to see you try." smiled Artemis. Pheobe leaped at her lover, tackling her onto the bed and wrestling until Artemis invariably ended up pinning her to the bed.

Artemis grinned before leaning down and pulling the Hunter's lips to her own, then releasing her and rolling away. "I need to sleep, Pheobe. Tiring day."

Pheobe nodded, curling into Artemis until they both fell asleep.

-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-

The Goddess of the Moon felt cold stone under her instead of soft furs, and the warm body of her lover was nowhere to be found. Those were the first things she noticed before opening her eyes -and when she did, she almost immediately regretted it.

The walls were some kind of black stone, unadorned and unwelcoming, with an ebony door at one end. Artemis was the only thing in the room itself, suddenly glad she decided to sleep in her Hunter's outfit -this could only be a dream.

Artemis opened the door, striding out into the corridor and glancing around. _Left or right?_ Both of the same featureless stone, as if the entire building was hewn from a massive rock. Screams echoed down on her from the left, screams that wrenched the gut and were the most primal expression of pain and terror. The choice was made, Artemis morphing into a deer before leaping down the left hall, hooves clacking against stone as she reached speeds impossible for any human to achieve, shooting around corners as she realized who the screams belonged to: Perseus Jackson.

Her search ended on a wooden door, but it would take much more than a lock to restrain the goddess. Leaping into the air, Artemis morphed into a bear before smashing straight through the wood, her eyes pinned to the spectacle that dominated the center of the room. Perseus, clad only in chains that bound him to a Stygian Iron table, was almost catatonic from the agony. The torturer towered over him with what looked like a dagger with a cruel hook on the end, a hook that was tearing up the demigod's skin as Hades dragged it across his body.

As the goddess looked on, shocked, the dagger carved deep furrows in Percy's skin and his jaws opened in a scream, echoing in the chamber. Hades just laughed.

The dagger flashed across Percy's six-pack abs, only more defined from his work with Demeter and whatever poor food Hades found fit to give to him. The God of the Dead chuckled as he drew a knife with a cruelly serrated edge, grating it down the son of Poseidon's left arm before driving it through the wrist, severing the tendons there.

Artemis leapt at Hades, her claws slicing through the air at the god's neck . . . only for them to go right through. Meanwhile, the door behind her opened and a second Perseus walked in, this one clothed and more heavily scarred. Pain flashed in his eyes as he saw himself tortured then he collapsed, writhing and screaming.

The goddess spun, turning back into a human form and seeing her servant fetally curled into a ball, shaking pitifully as he heard his own screams, mingling with Hades' cold laughter.

"Perseus?" demanded Artemis, "What's going on here?"

The demigod just whimpered, curling up tighter as the other Percy's screams reached a crescendo. Artemis knelt down next to him, grabbing his shoulders shaking the terrified son of Poseidon, "Percy? Can you hear me?"

Percy started jerking violently, trying to get free of Artemis' iron grip, then his foot shot out and slammed into the goddess' small form, sending her flying backwards into a wall.

-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-

Artemis shot upwards in her bed, gasping and grabbing her ribs. No bruising, no broken bones, and certainly no demigod. But why was she dreaming of Perseus?

"Artemis?" Pheobe asked drowsily, "What happened?"

The goddess took a few deep breaths, calling herself and lying back down next to her lover, "Nothing. Just a bad dream."

"Tell me about it." offered Pheobe, wrapping comforting arms around her Lady, "Tell me what happened, lover."

Artemis sighed, "I . . . just saw someone tortured. Someone important."

"Was it one of us, Artemis?" the Hunter asked, pulling the Goddess of the Moon close.

She hesitated before making up her mind, "Yes, it was. One of the new additions."

Pheobe squeezed her tightly, "They're fine. Naomi's sister is picking up the bow quickly, and Kristen is the same with traps."

"I know. . . Just a bad feeling, Pheobe." replied the goddess.

Two miles away, Lycaon sniffed at the air, "Resuza should be returning soon. I wonder what she has to report?"

Orion frowned, "Probably just the usual: Training and one or two more members. How fares the gathering of our forces?"

"Slowly, if we are to avoid gathering attention." growled Lycaon, "However much I want to charge in there, we'd be slaughtered. How many of them are there? Forty, fifty?"

"Fifty-three." answered a new voice, as a werewolf with soft brown fur morphed into human form. She was beautiful, with soft, waist-length brown hair framing a picturesquee face. Warm blue eyes met Lycaon's, "Resuza just returned. A new member has joined the Hunt. A _male_."

Lycaon sneered at the camp in the distance, "Who, Lyra?"

"Perseus Jackson."

* * *

 **A/N: Since Perseus is the _Servant_ of the Hunt, he has to do the chores. It won't be my only flirt with the Guardian plotline, but I'll try make the similarities few. So, I'll do my best to make those events different. Also, feel free to give me suggestions on what you want to happen. This is as much your story as mine.**

 **Also, should I keep having Perseus think of the Hunt as his masters? I assumed -since they are _Hunters_ and not _Hunteresses-_ that I should use the masculine master instead of the feminine mistress.**

 **Lastly, how long do you want the Pheobe/Artemis to last? It needs to be there a little, the very shortest I could make it is two or three more chapters, one if I find that a lot of people don't like it.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So all of you hate Pheobe, which is funny to me considering her actions are something that would happen in the Hunt. 1). She hates males (and has gotten acidified by Connor and Travis). 2). A newcomer got promoted to Lieutenant before her. 3). The male who's friends with the Lieutenant is touching her stuff.**

 **Your wish is my command, reviewers. Can't make the Pheobe/Artemis crash and burn, but they won't be together by the end of the chapter. (I have the feeling most of you hate Pheobe for what happened in other fanfics, so I'm going to make an effort to have _this_ Pheobe be actually likable.)**

 **Acorbe: Now, that would be telling . . . So yes, it will.**

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Chapter 6-

"Thalia!" Artemis called after her servant began cleaning away the plates of breakfast, "I need to talk to you."

The daughter of Zeus nodded as they left the camp, "What, my lady?"

"How would you feel about splitting the Hunt?" asked the goddess, "We have a wealth of Hunters, and this many is scaring off prey for miles around. So, if you're not opposed to the idea, I would have you take twenty-five or twenty-six Hunters and establish another base in a different forest."

"And if I am opposed to it?" Thalia questioned, making sure to keep her voice respectful. It was hard, considering this would prevent her from getting closer to her best friend again.

"Then I'll order you to do it anyways." replied Artemis crisply, "Are you concerned about this?"

Thalia looked at the Goddess of the Moon, "Can I be blunt here? Thanks. I know you and Pheobe are in a relationship, and _you_ are in an eighteen year-old form, only one year older than _her_ when she joined. Now _you_ want _me_ to leave. If these changes are made for her, who hasn't particularly liked me ever since I joined the Hunt, then you're letting her control you."

Artemis was shocked at the facts Thalia put forward, more shocked at how she put them together than that she would doubt the will of a goddess. But Thalia wasn't finished.

"I just want you to know that I don't like this whole . . . thing. You know Hunters die, and Puerto Rico was a prime example of that. It was only thanks to the Council that our reward let us bring them back from the dead. Added to that, the new Hunters idolize you and take clues on how to be a Hunter from _you_. Your relationship with Pheobe could -and has- convince Hunters to do what they don't particularly want to. I don't want to explain to Resuza that loving another women isn't a requirement for a Hunter, or that most Hunters aren't gay -but I have a feeling that's going to happen soon."

Now Artemis' jaw nearly hit the floor. Thalia was raising points she hadn't even considered. Most of the Hunters, especially the younger ones, looked up to her in every fashion and tried to copy her. A common phrase around the Hunt was: What would my Lady do?

"I haven't thought of that, Thalia. I'll try to keep my relationship more hidden, but I won't break it off. I love her, Thalia." Artemis' silver eyes met Thalia's electric blue, "Have you ever loved?"

Thalia's gaze instantly hardened, "I haven't, my lady. But this isn't about love, this is about the newcomers. Just don't be so open about it, and be prepared for Pheobe to die. None of us could take charge if Pheobe died and you were too depressed to do anything."

"I suppose that would be what's best for the Hunt." Artemis replied, "For the record, the reason I am in an eighteen-year-old form is it's heavier and more muscled. I had a dream where Perseus kicked me back into a wall in my twelve-year-old form, so this is my solution. If Perseus goes berserk, I don't want to be kicked through into a tent if I make a mistake and he gets through my guard."

"In that case, when do you want us to leave?"

"Have you picked out twenty-five Hunters? And which newcomer are you taking?" questioned Artemis. If Thalia couldn't answer these quickly, she wouldn't be the best choice to lead a second Hunt.

"Yes, I have. And I'm taking Naomi's sister, Resuza." Thalia replied just as quickly.

Artemis nodded stiffly, "Then start getting ready. You leave tomorrow."

"Wait. Just one more thing: Do you actually love Pheobe, or do you just need someone to fill the gap left by Zoe after she died? She was like a sister to you, if even half of the stories can be believed. And if you really do love her, could you handle Pheobe dying for you just like Zoe did?" Thalia asked.

Artemis' reply came through gritted teeth, "I'll have to, Lieutenant. Now leave before I do something I'll regret later on."

Thalia left very quickly, sensing she may have pushed a bit too far. But it _was_ her job to ask the difficult questions, no matter how much Artemis didn't want to hear them.

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Percy had just finished scrubbing the table when Artemis came back, obviously pissed about one thing or another, "Perseus, go to the Armory and put half of it in a different tent, then start collecting firewood for a new stockpile."

The son of Poseidon nodded and left, not wanting to trigger Artemis' rage. The Armory itself was _massive_ , filled with arrow shafts, beginner bows -Hunters crafted their own once they could shoot well- and every other weapon imaginable. Swords lined the racks near the front, ranging from one-handed shortswords to larger hand-and-a-halves to massive claymores. Clubs, flails, spears, armor of all sizes and materials were all there, along with just plain supplies. Everyone just thought "Armory" was cooler than "Supply Tent", so the name stuck.

But that was all pointless to Perseus, who dug around in a box of tents for one about the same size as the Armory, then threw it outside. But it never got there, caught in mid-flight by a Hunter who had stopped by to apologize.

"Hello, male." Pheobe almost snarled, but checked herself. No matter how much she wanted to beat him up, that wasn't why she was here.

Perseus didn't reply, only tightened his muscles and unconsciously widened his stance. He was still crouched in front of the box of gumpack-tents, unsure whether Pheobe was trying to impair the task set to him by a higher authority or not.

Unconscious or not, Pheobe noticed the small movements the demigod had made, "I'm not here to harm you, son of Poseidon. Why did you throw the tent at me?"

"Apologies, Lady Pheobe, I was not aiming at you." Percy replied carefully not meeting Pheobe's eyes, "Artemis ordered me to transfer half of the supplies from this tent into the one you now hold."

"Hmph." Pheobe grunted, "That'll be tough."

She stepped forward, "I'm here to say sorry: What I did to you yesterday wasn't deserved. I got the feeling that Artemis didn't approve of my actions, so I'm apologizing. I was angry and made assumptions that I shouldn't have. I can see that you aren't like those sons of Hermes who put me in the infirmary for two months while my burns healed. You took my place to help Lady Artemis, and for that I can't fault you." she sighed, "Without you, I that quest would not have succeeded. My suffering at the hands of those males was nothing compared to the weight of the sky that you took to rid my Lady of the burden."

Percy was silent, but inside there was a long-forgotten personality stirring. One that wanted to insist that everything was cool between them, that she didn't really mean to hurt _him_ in particular, that she was wrong and taking the sky was the least he could do, that Zoe was the one who saved the quest, anything.

"Hades, you're never going to say anything . . ." Pheobe's gaze dropped, "If you want to say something, _anything_ , then say it! I don't like apologizing to males, and you're creeping me out."

"I'm sorry, Lady Pheobe, if I have caused you any discomfort." replied the demigod. For several seconds after, his mouth was open as he tried to force more words out, but they wouldn't come. Finally, he managed to croak, "Wasn't your fault."

Pheobe shook her head, "It was my fault, and you'd better accept that, Jackson. Here's your tent."

The Hunter tossed the tent back, her mind scrambling to figure out where "Jackson" came from. She never called males by name, much less a servant.

Percy caught the tent easily, following her to the entrance before putting it up. It popped into into shape, a tent of white silk existing where none did before.

Pheobe paused at the entrance, then shook her head. Helping him was the least she could do. The Hunter ducked back inside the Armory just in time to see the son of Poseidon pick up a half-rack of about ten swords at the left end of the line, "Wait! Put that down."

Percy complied without hesitation as Pheobe approached, "You're doing this wrong. If you took all of these, whoever's staying here would be missing this length of sword entirely. Let me show you how."

Obediently as ever, the demigod stepped back and watched as Pheobe took half the swords off the rack, then took another five swords from the next rack to replace the ones she took off. Now she had two racks, each of them with half of the Hunt's supply of those types of blades, "See?"

Perseus nodded, "Yes, Lady Pheobe."

He stepped forward, copying Pheobe's actions with the third and fourth rack and following her into the new tent.

"Where did you get this one, male?" asked Pheobe, and for good reason. This was obviously a rec room for the Hunt: Ping-Pong tables, pool tables, arcade machines -accepting both _drachmas_ and _denarii-_ couches, and a huge plasma TV on one side. "I sincerely hope you didn't think we would use the party room for storage. Thalia would kill you."

The son of Poseidon shook his head, pointing to a box in the Armory.

"That, boy, is the box of furnished tents. Look in the box below it while I put this one back." ordered the Hunter, putting her rack of swords down outside the new tent before tapping one corner twice. The tent folded into the pack of gum sized piece of fabric while Percy noticed the writing on the box he had taken the tent from: "Used Tents." Right on the box below, of course, was "Unused."

As Percy silently berated himself for making such an obvious mistake, he was also moving back outside, the empty tent already in hand. There was another small pop as this too expanded.

Pheobe grunted, "Least you got it right this time."

Together they started moving weapons from one tent to the other, Pheobe getting steadily bored while Percy cared little. That is, until Pheobe spoke again, just to break the monotony.

"Why does Artemis want another Armory?"

"I don't know, Lady Pheobe." Percy replied, "It is not the business of a servant to question a goddess."

"So that's why she hasn't turned you into a jackalope. Good that at least one male knows their place." Pheobe looked at him steadily, calculating, "Guess?"

"Perhaps a group of Hunters are going on a long hunt, Lady Pheobe." speculated the son of Poseidon.

Pheobe stopped midstep for a few seconds, "Not _again_! The last time my lady split the Hunt in half like this, an avalanche killed most of us. Only Zoe and I survived to get back to her- I mean, Lady Artemis."

Again came the upsurge of Percy's old self, one that wanted to be sympathetic. He knew what it was like to lose friends, especially when you're powerless to prevent it. But Hades' work could not be undone so easily, and all he could force past his lips was a pathetic whimper.

Luckily, Pheobe didn't notice. She was too busy talking to herself, "Thalia's definitely going, but she has no idea how to run a camp on her own. Lady Artemis'll have to send a few senior Hunters with her."

In fact, Pheobe was so preoccupied she made the same mistake Percy did at the beginning: Taking a whole rack of spears. Percy coughed politely, drawing Pheobe's attention before pointing to the rack- he didn't dare touch her. The Hunter practically face-palmed before setting the rack back down and moving weaponry.

It was only another hour before they were done, and went their separate ways: Pheobe to find Artemis and Percy to collect firewood.

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Artemis was training the newest Hunter when Pheobe approached, "Lady Artemis, can I talk to you for a minute? Privately?"

The goddess nodded, "Resuza, take a break. You're learning well with your hunting knives, but you're too aggressive. Don't overextend yourself like that."

Resuza nodded, waiting until they entered the woods before carefully taking a very specific item from a pocket: A charm, in the shape of a scythe.

"Lyra, Artemis and an older Hunter -Pheobe- are heading towards you. Are you sure you can do this?" Resuza asked, afraid of losing her surrogate mother.

The werewolf's smooth voice was clear on the other side, "Don't worry about me, daughter mine. Keep your cover intact."

Resuza nodded unconsciously, before walking out of the clearing Artemis was training her in. Lyra was the alpha female of the Pack, equals with the King and feared by the other wolves. This would be no trouble for her. Lyra would capture Artemis and kill Pheobe, because she was Lyra and Lyra was infallible.

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"What did you wish to talk about?" asked Artemis as she and Pheobe walked through the woods as effortlessly as if it was a smooth path.

"You're splitting the Hunt, right?" Pheobe replied.

"Yes."

"Can I tell you not too? Any group of us without you would attract monsters like no tomorrow -or worse." Pheobe said darkly, "Thalia doesn't have the experience to lead a second Hunt, Artemis. Especially once Orion resurfaces, or Lycaon stops licking the wounds we gave him in Puerto Rico. We've never defeated either of them for very long."

"Just how did you find out, again?"

"I ran into the male as he was putting supplies in another Armory." Phoebe shrugged, "It's only been sixty years since the last time we tried-"

A branch snapped near them, interrupting the conversation and putting them on guard before they saw a figure in a black tunic picking up wood. Just Perseus and a male's clumsiness, it seemed. Above them, Lyra cursed, hoping they wouldn't look up. Luck was with her it seemed, as the pair returned to their conversation.

"As I was saying, it was only sixty-something years ago that we tried this." Pheobe pointed out.

"This is the best time to split the Hunt, Pheobe." assured the goddess, "The Pack should be weakened for years in the future, and even Orion has been quelled for a while by that Praetor, Reyna. If we can find the Pack again, we could even destroy them entirely and take Lycaon prisoner. There's a better chance of that with two groups then one."

"Thalia still lacks experience-"

Artemis cut her lover off "-Which is why you will be going with her."

This left Pheobe shocked, "But . . . us?"

"I'm sorry, Pheobe." Artemis' intense gaze dropped, "After Zoe died, it showed me just how vulnerable I was -or any of us. It isn't my job to fall in love with you, with anybody -even though I want to. I asked to be able to interfere with the lives of mortals, but the cost was that I have to fight the Pack and other monsters. I can't let myself get attached to anyone like I did Zoe. She was a sister to me, all but in blood. How would it feel to lose a lover?"

Pheobe's gaze hardened, "If that is your wish, Lady Artemis. May I ask what set your thinking down this path?"

"I had a talk with my Lieutenant. She was worried about the example we would be setting for newer Hunters. Which is why I am hereby appointing you as Thalia's Lieutenant. I made her _my_ Lieutenant because she is what you would call a "people person," making new arrivals feel welcome even if they just lost their family. But what she doesn't have your experience, so I need you to handle that side of things. Don't let me down, Pheobe, even if I let you down. The Hunt has to come first, and whatever we want second. That's how it used to be."

"I follow your will, Lady Artemis." Pheobe replied, ice in her tone while her hands were shaking.

Artemis gritted her teeth, " _I don't want to do this, Pheobe_ _!_ I -we- came so close to losing _everythin_ _g_ in Puerto Rico. I can't afford to worry about you, or anybody! I can't afford to let my guard down if you die again! No matter what happens, I _will_ have to be strong for any Hunters I had left! If that means I lose you, it has to be done. You know as well as I do that no one else in the Hunt can compare to you in experience, and Thalia will need that knowledge to stay alive."

"I understand completely." said the Hunter through clenched teeth. Every muscle in her body was tensed, ready to take out her anger on one thing or another.

"Your hands don't agree with you, Pheobe." Artemis pointed out. Sure enough, tongues of flame danced around clenched fists, her abilities as a daughter of Hephaestus becoming very apparent.

"I am fine, Lady Artemis." Pheobe narrowed her eyes, controlling the flames and forcing them down. Once Artemis left, she could let them out to play.

Artemis sighed, "Don't burn anything important, Pheobe."

"Don't worry. She won't be." said a new voice, then a figure with long brown hair and blue eyes dropped from the trees above, a short sword in each hand.

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Perseus had a good stack of firewood going when he first heard the yell of alarm.

The son of Poseidon acted on instinct, dropping his armful of wood, and drawing Annabeth's dagger as he ran towards the commotion -even Hades enlisted him to calm down riots when he found them, specifically saying to handle fights before anything else. So why should this goddess be any different? By the time he got there, Pheobe was bleeding on the ground while someone with long brown hair and blue eyes was fighting the goddess, short swords versus hunting knives. Artemis was getting pushed back, forced to retreat further and further from both Pheobe and the camp.

"Perseus! Help Pheobe and get out of here!" commanded the goddess. The demigod nodded, falling to a crouch next to the wounded Hunter. She was bleed from a stab in the stomach, and her left arm was nearly chopped off at the elbow courtesy of the surprise attack from above.

"Nectar." Pheobe grunted, "Pocket."

Percy nodded, rifling through the downed Hunter's pockets before taking the small flask of nectar she kept on her constantly, even when asleep. Careful not to waste any, the son of Poseidon poured half into the hole in her stomach and helped her drink the second half, tossing aside the flask once it was empty.

Pheobe groaned in pain as the nectar began it's work, while Percy grabbed her shoulders and started dragging the wounded Hunter back to camp.

"Wait." Pheobe ordered, coughing up a little blood as she slowly stood, the front of her shirt quickly becoming stained red. "Give me your belt."

Percy did as asked while Pheobe tore off her shirt, bunching it around her wound and using the belt to keep it -and her nearly useless left arm- in place, while her jacket kept her modesty.

"Artemis ordered you -urg- back to camp. Get some Hunters and come back." Pheobe said grimly, "I'll try to help her."

The demigod nodded and raced off while Pheobe tried her best to run after the slowly retreating goddess.

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Artemis ducked a high chop and lunged at Lyra with both knives extended, only for them to be knocked aside by the werewolf's second short sword. Too late did she jump backwards, Lyra cutting her high on the arm with the point a blade. The first blood of their fight. Lyra grinned -or rather, bared her teeth- as Artemis grimaced.

Lyra's shortswords started darting in a series of sharp, short thrusts, forcing Artemis to give ground frantically in an effort to stay fighting. Not for the first time, she wished she could assume her true form and turn her opponent to ash. Sadly, that was something she had given up to keep her Hunt. Now, if Orion got involved things would be different.

"Artemis! Duck!" Pheobe called. Artemis hit the deck without hesitation as a column of flame erupted from Pheobe's hand, narrowling missing Lyra as she jumped away at the last second. Lyra growled, looking uncertainly at the fire-spewing Hunter. All animals, even if they were human at one point, are hardwired to fear fire. But Lyra wasn't the alpha female for nothing.

The werewolf morphed into wolf form, ducking under the column of flame and bolting at Pheobe, dodging the bolts of fire shot from her one good hand, the undergrowth turning to burning around her. Lyra leaped at Pheobe, who jumped to the side, barely missing the wolf's claws but landing on her left arm. She wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.

In the meantime, Artemis climbed to her feet and ran at the werewolf, who turned just in time to leap away from the goddess, morphing back to human in mid-air and landing in crouch. Tension flavored the air, both combatants standing stock still.

Pheobe groaned as she rolled onto her back, Artemis glancing back at the sound. That was all Lyra needed, leaping forward with a thrust while Artemis spun away, frantically keeping the onslaught of the werewolf at bay. The Goddess of the Hunt was outmatched, and she knew it.

Pheobe had black creeping in at the edge of her vision, but there were more important things to worry about. Her Lady was still being pushed back by the werewolf, and that had to change no matter the cost

The Hunter took a deep breath, wincing as her shirt rubbed against the hole in her stomach. By her reckoning, she had maybe another minute of consciousness, then it would be lights out for her and a gamble on her survival that even the most hardener casino-goer wouldn't take. But her death would be worth it if she could save Artemis as she had failed to those years ago.

The fingertips of her right hand caught fire like candles. She waved them frantically to get Artemis' attention, hoping that the goddess could figure out the rest of her plan.

Artemis backpedaled from Lyra's stabs, deflecting them when she could and jumping away when she couldn't. Well-trained hunter's eyes noticed a flutter of movement from Pheobe's prone form. Her eyes flicked to her Hunter for a split-second, seeing the fingers of fire and nodding ever so slightly. Pheobe went limp, the fires winking out and her right arm hitting the ground.

Lyra's twin shortswords continued hissing at the goddess, alternating between slashes and stabs seemingly randomly -and to great effect. Artemis had open wounds up and down her arms, the sleeves of her parka all but gone from the werewolf's flickering blades.

After a particularly vicious overhead chop from Lyra, Artemis rolled back in Pheobe's direction.

Lyra snarled, "You won't get away, goddess. Once I bring you back as my trophy, not even Lycaon will challenge me. _I_ will become the Queen of the Pack, and you will be my slave. Perhaps I'll even lend you out -some would pay well for a millennia old virgin."

Artemis didn't reply, backing up. She was still too far from Pheobe, her limbs weary both from deflecting blows and taking them. Then disaster struck: Lyra simply beat the knife out of her right hand, sending it spinning into the undergrowth. Now the goddess was retreating even faster, not even trying to deflect Lyra's blows until she tripped over Pheobe's legs, staggering backwards as Lyra leaped over the downed Hunter triumphantly.

Pheobe's right hand shot out like lightning, catching Lyra's right leg mid flight and yanking downwards, sending the werewolf face-first into the dirt, shortswords wrenched out of her hands.

"Now _burn_ , bitch." Pheobe growled, her hand catching fire as she moved it up Lyra's body. Then she slumped, unconsciousness taking her.

Artemis slowly climbed to her feet, her remaining knife clutched in her right hand as she limped forward, right leg sprained from the awkward fall. Lyra groaned as pain rippled up from the burns, weaping skin coloring the ground red as her hands found a weapon on Pheobe's belt.

The werewolf brought up Pheobe's hunting knife just in time to block a strike from above, rolling away from another while Artemis' left hand clutched for a silver arrow -nothing else could kill a werewolf. Lyra wasn't ready to roll over and die yet -at least the dying point. The alpha female rolled backwards and got to her feet, her burnt and bloody midriff shrieking a protest but her resolve firmer than ever -Artemis was barely able to keep on her feet.

Then a silver arrow flew from the trees, hitting her in the shoulder and sending the werewolf spinning away. Lyra hid behind a tree, waiting for further shots and hoping against hope she could get out of here before the Hunters got close enough for a killing shot. Artemis had slumped to the base of a tree, spent, while Pheobe was motionless -pity she couldn't capitalize on that, but escape was the name of the game now. And escape she did, scooping up her twin shortswords and hightailing it out of there in wolf form. More arrows followed her as she ran, glancing off of trees and undergrowth as she zigged and zagged -it would take a true master of the bow and a healthy dose of luck to hit a dodging wolf.

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Percy watched as Thalia cursed, "She's gonna get away. I should've waited a few more meters, gotten in a killing shot."

No one stated the obvious answer: Artemis and Pheobe didn't have those few meters to give.

"Naomi, Emsara, you take Artemis. Percy, help me pick up Pheobe." Thalia ordered, once more taking control of the situation. She could debate her actions later -right now, they had Hunters to save, "Celyn, do what you can while we're moving them."

They all nodded, Percy hooking his arms through Pheobe's armpits while Thalia took her legs, both grunting as they lifted her. Pheobe was about as big as Perseus, and solid muscle to boot.

"Hurry, gals. I'm not sure how long Pheobe will last -she's lost a lot of blood, and I'm not sure I can save that arm if we wait much longer."

"We're trying." Thalia grunted out, but they stepped up the pace anyways. The rest of the Hunters that came with Percy -six or seven- formed a guard for the injured and wounded, keen eyes scanning the forest for any and all attackers.

Luckily, there were none and the two defeated Hunters got back to camp safely, both getting berths in the Medical Tent.

"Everyone out!" ordered Celyn, "Thalia, get me Huiliang."

Everyone obeyed without question -the Med Tent was practically her sovereign territory. Celyn hovered at Pheobe's bedside, wrapping her wounds in nectar-soaked gauze, forcing ambrosia down her throat and continuously singing hymns to Apollo. By the time Huiliang arrived, Celyn was nearly swaying from exhaustion but motioned her to Artemis' still form, then continued working on Pheobe.

Less than a minute later, Celyn dropped from exhaustion, going from awake to unconscious in less than a second.

Ten minutes later, Huiliang walked outside the tent to a waiting group of Hunters, "Artemis okay. Celyn _y_ _ìshí sàngshī_. . . um, not awake. Pheobe . . . not know. Celyn is expert. I am student."

Huiliang only joined the Hunt last year, having only gotten off of a passenger ship from China when both her mother and father were killed in a car accident. Despite having no real access to any official ESL curiculum, she had picked up the language quickly and could get her point across most of the time without reverting to Chinese and relying on Pheobe or Artemis to translate for her -that obviously wasn't an option right now.

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As soon as Celyn rolled out of the hospital bet, she was bent over Pheobe -re-bandaging and gauzing wounds, force-feeding her more ambrosia, and shifting her position to keep weight off of her left arm. She even started to hum out a hymn to Apollo when a hand clamped around her wrist.

"Don't." Thalia warned, "You'll kill yourself if you work any more magic. How is she?"

"Serious." Celyn replied, "She lost a lot of blood, and there was a fair bit of internal bleeding. To make things worse, whatever stabbed her scraped her bladder as well. I'm trying to keep the wound clean and stop infection, but . . . I don't know."

"Do you believe she'll make it?"

"I don't know. I just . . . don't know." Celyn slumped, "But she has to make it. You hear that , Pheobe? Don't die on me here."

* * *

 **A/N: Should I kill Pheobe? Artemis _did_ dump her, so the PheobeXArtemis is over. But, doctor of supreme awesomness, do you still want me to kill her?**

 **On a second note, you'll have to bear with Percy being Artemis' b*tch for a while longer. After all, he is a servant. Besides, Percy always does what other people tell him to, so I'm not going to make him a mastermind. I like to imagine Percy as a hunting dog and Artemis his handler. Or Percy as the Enforcer and Artemis the Inspector, to make the Psycho-Pass reference more apparent.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay, Pheobe isn't going to die this chapter. I'm still iffy on whether she's going to die later on, though.**

 **DeathmatchDrunkard: Yes, things are very different when someone lives for a long, long time -which is also why Percy was sentenced to not, say, five or ten years of servitude, but a lifetime. And I've hinted at why the werewolves can give a goddess so much trouble, but it'll be out in the open soon.**

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Chapter 7-

Artemis opened the the Med Tent flap, walking inside to see her former lover. She was still unconscious, and Celyn was sleeping in a chair at her bedside -the healer would not give up.

The goddess took Pheobe's pulse: It was weak, and she was barely breathing despite the best efforts of the daughter of Apollo. Even Apollo couldn't do any more for the daughter of Hephaestus, not without killing her. She was slowly dying of internal bleeding, which the Hunt had no real fix for besides pump her full of nectar and hope.

Artemis sighed, giving one last looked to the fatally wounded Hunter and leaving again -only to sheild her eyes from a bright flash of light, heralding Athena's arrival.

"Artemis?" asked the Goddess of Wisdom, "What's wrong?"

"Pheobe's bleeding out in the Medical Tent." replied the Lady of the Hunt. "Is that the journal?"

"Yes. I also have Perseus' possessions that were taken when he was consigned to the Underworld." Athena looked inside the tent, seeing Pheobe's wounded form, "Will she recover?"

"It's the toss of a _drachma_." Artemis sighed, "Perseus should be somewhere around here."

"You find him, I'll put his things in his tent." Athena hesitated, "He _does_ have a tent, correct?"

Artemis froze, "I didn't really think about that. . ."

"Do you really think he can improve if he sleeps on the ground? Even Hades gave him a straw bed, or so I am told." the goddess shook her head at Artemis' mistake, then there was another flash of light as Poseidon popped up.

"Where's Percy?" he demanded, "What have you done with him?"

"Over there." Artemis pointed, noticing her servant at the edge of the clearing. He was bringing back the last load of firewood, and hoping there wouldn't be another wolf-like interruption.

Poseidon ran forward, wrapping his son in a hug, "I'm glad you're alive, son. I was afraid the Hunt had killed you until Zeus said Athena took your possessions."

Perseus didn't reply, remaining as stiff as a board in the god's grasp. Only when Poseidon released him and stepped back did he move, performing the forehead-to-the-ground bow that Artemis had seen twice before.

"You honor me with your presence and concern, Lord Poseidon the Stormbringer, the Earthshaker, the Lord of Horses, the King of the Oceans, of the Eldest Sons of Kronos." Percy said, his face pressed into the dirt at Poseidon's feet.

Meanwhile, Poseidon looked shocked while many Hunters heard something interesting was going on here. Like moths to flame, they all but surrounded the three gods.

The God of the Seas grabbed Percy by the arm, pulling him to his feet, "Enough of all that, son. How are you? Have you told Sally? Has the Hunt hurt you?"

"I am fine, I have no knowledge of a Sally, and the Hunt has not harmed me." replied his son, in complete monotone.

Poseidon staggered backward, a similar reaction to the goddesses that had talked to him before. But he came to a very different conclusion, and his trident appeared in his hands. The Sea God pointed it at Artemis.

" _What did you do to him?!_ " Poseidon roared -only he chose the exact _wrong_ place to pick a fight. Immediately, well over thirty bows were leveled at him, Athena had her spear and shield in her hands and Artemis had her hunting knives drawn.

" _We_ didn't do anything." Artemis replied, "But if you don't put that trident away, we'll do an awful lot to _you_."

All around them, their powers crackled. A sea-green aura flowed off of Poseidon, silver for Artemis, red for Athena. A myriad of different colors surrounded the gathered Hunt, who surrounded the Sea God. They were too well trained to be grouped up, and more were entering the clearing.

Percy drew Annabeth's knife, pointing it at Poseidon. He wasn't completely sure, but with all these Hunters surrounding this Olympian, he probably missed an order.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back for Poseidon. The sea-green light disappeared and tears streamed down his face, "What happened to you, my son?"

"Hades happened." Artemis said, her voice hard, "Threaten me again, and I order my Hunters to open fire. Perseus will join them in attacking you, if I order him to."

Athena joined in, "And I will take her side. I, _we_ , owe it to Perseus to try to help him heal. You can either fight us on this, or keep your big, fat nose out of it."

Meanwhile, both Hestia and Demeter flashed down next to them. This effectively reduced Poseidon's chances in open combat to zero, even if he could bring himself to fight his son.

"You said Hades did this?" asked the Sea God, his aura flickering dangerously -he was right royally pissed off at whoever did this to his son.

"That is my deduction, and if you doubt it you'll have a taste of this spear regardless of what you planned to." Athena replied, her voice itching for a fight. "Now, if you want to admit I was right in turning Medusa into a monster, go right ahead. Otherwise, _get out of here_."

The Sea God wanted nothing more than to get out his trident and show Athena a thing or two, but the odds would be fifty-fifty on a good day against her. With three other Olympians on her side, and a myraid of bows, Poseidon decided to swallow his pride and take his anger out on a different target.

He flashed away, leaving the crowd of Hunters and goddesses to heave a silent sigh of relief. None of the goddesses wanted to start a new feud with him, and all of the Hunters knew they couldn't win without at least a few casualties. They all split up, only a few of the Hunters wondering why that quartet of goddesses were paying extra attention to their servant.

Artemis turned to the Goddess of Wisdom, "Athena, you have the journal?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Perseus, read this through." Athena ordered, tossing the small book to the demigod.

"Twice." added Hestia.

Percy caught it with minimal effort, opening to the front page.

Demeter leaned over to Athena, "Did _you_ read it?"

She shook her head, "No. It felt like that would be invading his privacy."

"I felt the same when I first saw him writing in it. That book is very important to him."

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A bolt of sea-green light slammed into Hades' throneroom door, blasting it apart before Poseidon stalked through it. He leveled his trident at the King of the Underworld, the three prongs flickering with power.

Poseidon growled, deep in his chest, "What did you do to him, Hades?"

"Your upstart spawn? I merely taught him his place." Hades replied, his voice thin and cruel. The god stood, his hands wrapped around the hilt of his sword -a hilt with a key sticking out of it- and the Helm of Darkness on his head. "Now, you can either walk away or I can _force_ you to."

"Not until I teach you _your_ place, brother." Poseidon said, a blue beam shooting from his trident.

Hades growled, drawing his sword and deflecting the beam off of his blade. Columns of shadow shot from every corner of the room, but the Sea God batted them aside with his trident, then charged. A shield of shadow formed in Hades' left hand, bashing the trident aside as his sword cut at Poseidon, but was blocked with the shaft of the trident.

They broke apart, circling around each other. Darkness radiated off of Hades, and sea-green off of Poseidon. Hades was stronger, on his home turf and his throne only a few meters away -but the God of the Sea wouldn't leave without a stiff fight.

They clashed again, again, and again. Blood leaked from Poseidon's shoulder, and his side ached from where Hades had bashed him with his shield while Hades was untouched, not concerned in the slightest. Their eyes were locked, the Sea God very careful not to look at the Helm of Darkness -if he did, the fight would be over.

A thick bolt of shadows sent Poseidon flying back through the doors, out of the palace. He sprawled into a waiting army of skeletons, all with weapons drawn and armor had been standing there for days, fully ready for anything -anything except for a flying Olympian.

Poseidon leapt to his feet, summoning his chariot and flying away from the horde. Only far above it all did he see just how massive the army was: Ranks and ranks of undead soldiers, millions or more.

"Do you like my army, younger brother?" called the King of the Dead, laughing as he beheld the horde, "For every one of the living, there are hundreds of generations of the dead. You chose the wrong realm to rule. The weakest one."

"Whatever you are planning, it ends _now_." Poseidon yelled, flying towards his eldest brother. Hades summoned his own chariot, going into the air to meet the Olympian while his army clacked far below.

Poseidon leveled his trident at Hades, galloping directly towards him like a Medieval knight on horseback. Hades growled, bringing his sword and shield to the ready.

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Perseus closed the journal, something about the words inside ringing true to him. Like a singer matching the perfect pitch to vibrate glass, the son of Poseidon felt like he would shatter if this went on for much longer.

"Have you finished?" Athena asked. They were all in Artemis' tent: Demeter sitting cross-legged, playing with a piece of wheat while Athena was sitting in a chair, editing a copy of _War And Peace_. Hestia was playing with a fire in the corner, while Artemis was taking a nap.

Perseus nodded, "Yes, Lady Athena, Goddess of Warfare, Lady of Owls-"

Athena waved it away, "Enough of that. Hestia?"

"Just a sec." Hestia tossed the fire back in the heater before turning to the demigod. "Ready yourself, Perseus. This may be disorienting or painful, but relax and go with it."

Perseus nodded, not speaking. The Goddess of the Hearth stepped forward, her eyes bursting into warm flame as her hands touched the son of Poseidon's temples.

Hestia entered his head, lost in a fog of forgotten memories. Percy shuddered, reflexively rejecting the goddess. But she pressed harder, wandering through the fog. Shadows of people wandered with her, just shadows no matter where she went. A warm fire lit in the upturned palm of her hand, illuminating the shadows.

She focused on one, seeing hair a little past the shoulder, a baseball cap and a long knife. _Annabeth._

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Poseidon spun his trident as he moved away from the Lord of the Dead, a hurricane forming over the Fields of Punishment. Souls screamed as they were sucked into the vortex, but he had other cares on his mind.

Hades growled, "You think you can match _me_ in my homeland? I control _everything_ here!"

He thrust out his hand, and lava spewed into the air. Molten rock met sea-water in a massive _hiss_ of steam -but the chaos was only beginning. Spears of rock detached from the ceiling, the Sea God's team of hippocampi frantically dodging around as many as they could while Poseidon shot blasts of water to push the others away. Bolts of shadow came out of the darkness as well, rocking the chariot and snapping planks.

But one stalactite got through, smashing through the center and sending Poseidon off the chariot. The Sea God barely grabbed a side with one hand, his trident in the other.

Hades came careening out of the darkness, making a stab while Poseidon frantically swung out of the way. Slowly, the Sea God pulled himself over the side, collapsing on what little floor was left in his chariot before getting to his feet and taking a few deep breaths. He wasn't beaten -not nearly- but hanging off the side of a chariot was terrifying.

The Lord of the Dead made another pass, his sword coming in a high chop, but Poseidon caught it in the tines of his trident. He wrenching the sword out of Hades' hands. It spun off into the darkness below, Hades cursing and diving after it. The Sea God wouldn't let him get away that easily, and threw his trident at the fleeing god's back.

It bounced off of Hades' shield, but flew upward into Poseidon's hand -a symbol of power followed different rules than any old blade. The Sea God started sending bolts of water at Hades.

Hades snarled, diving low over the EZ death line and catching his sword before curving up at the last second. Poseidon was faced with three growling dog heads as he followed, all of them snapping at his chariot. Then Mrs. O' Leary tackled Cerbereus, defending who she thought was Percy -who knows, they both smell like seafood.

Meanwhile, the King of the Underworld was sailing over the Fields of Punishment once more, laughing at the struggling Sea God, "You're getting slow in your old age, little brother!"

Poseidon's team of hippocampi picked up the pace, flying around erupting volcanoes, geysers of lava, and tumbling rockfalls -the Sea God was desperate to prove him wrong. A column of water shot from the trident, reaching almost to Hades' chariot before a lava geyser intercepted it, filling the air with heated steam.

The Lord of Horses frantically waved it away, clearing his vision- to see Hades charging, a long pitchfork in his hand while the Sword of Hades was at his waist. Poseidon lowered his trident, the hippocampus in front picking up the pace to meet Hades in the middle.

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Hestia concentrated on the shadow of Annabeth, imagining her with blond hair, the Yankees' cap on her head. Stormy gray eyes, the goddess remembered as she followed the demigod. A shadow of the Minotaur let out a massive, blechy roar and raised his axe, but Hestia ran past. A pegasus swooped down from above her, but she paid it no mind.

These were shadows of half-forgotten memories, lost in the fog Hades had imposed on him -and Hestia needed a way to light them up. There would be no better way than to force Percy to remember the most important and infamous event of his life: Annabeth's death.

As she ran, Hestia saw everything Percy remembered -or rather, didn't- with Annabeth. The day they met: _You drool in your sleep._

Their first Capture-the-Flag match raced by, Annabeth looking at Perseus with calculating eyes before the hellhound leapt over her. Surprise as he healed right before her eyes.

Percy watching Annabeth's back as they walked down Half-Blood Hill on the quest to find Zeus' bolt. Aunty Em's Gnome Emporium. Aphrodite's scarf. The Lotus Hotel and Casino, and a cash card he still had. Running from the Underworld. Facing down Ares.

Hestia ran on -she would need to get past the Giant War before slowing down. Fighting the Colchian Bulls. A chariot race. Sneaking on board the Princess Andromeda. Escaping on an inflatable raft. Fighting the Hydra. A big explosion as the ironclad was torn apart beneath him. Commandeering the _Queen Anne's Revenge_ from Circe's Island. Fighting Polyphemus. Getting captured by Luke, and rescued by Chiron.

Then his first run-in with the Hunt, a moment of heart-wrenching fear as Annabeth went over the edge. Flying after Zoe on the back of a pure-black pegasus. Fighting the Nemean Lion and running from the spartoi. Losing Bianca in the Junkyard of the Gods. Hitching a ride to California with the two angels. Meeting Annabeth's father. Running from Ladon. Fighting Atlas, then taking the sky from Artemis. Then Zoe died while everyone left escaped back to New York.

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Poseidon's trident met Hades' pitchfork in a flurry of sparks, the impact throwing both of them from their chariots. They fell down to the rock floor a dozen meters below, the Sea God tucked into a ball and nearly unharmed from the fall. He was a god, after all.

Hades climbed to his feet only a few meters away from the King of the Oceans, looking critically at his pitchfork: It was bent near the middle from the massive impact. The Lord of the Dead spat, throwing it away and drawing his sword, a whip of shadows forming in his other hand.

The Sea God stood, taking in Hades' choice of weapons before a net appeared in his left hand -Hades growled at him and charged, whip snapping. They fought on the slopes of a volcano, sending blasts of water and shadow at each other as fire rained down from above. Cracks of the whip met with swings of the net, both using surperior reflexes to jump away from the falling flames.

They were too well matched in terms of weaponry -the net negated the advantage the whip gave Hades, and both the sword and trident were too easy for the other to knock aside.

Then Poseidon threw his net, catching Hades' sword arm and tangling it up -but the god just growled, shaking his arm. The fish-hooks that coated the net dug into clothes and skin. as the whip snapped at Poseidon. Who jumped back, before returning with vengeance. Hades leaped aside, abandoning the whip and grabbing the net, tearing his clothes and skin as he yanked it away.

"Back where we started, eh?" Hades commented as a shield of darkness formed on his left arm, his right lacerated with fresh cuts that began healing immediately.

"For being in your home, you don't seem to be very powerful." shot back Poseidon. He leapt forward and grabbed Hades' arm -they both disappeared. The Sea God flashed them both to the bottom of the sea -right on his home turf. It was pitch-black, but Hades could see in the dark as clear as day. A layer of atmosphere formed around his body, both taking the pressure off and allowing him to breathe.

Poseidon came lunging out, embedding the tines of his trident deep in Hades' shield and yanking, sending the god deep into the murk.

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Hestia was lost; She could still see the shadow of Annabeth, but the memories that would go with it were gone: There was only pain, sadness and loneliness. The goddess peered into the fog, forcing the fireball in her hand to shed more light on the situation.

It was the journal, open to a finished entry. A dagger flashed, then blood dripped onto the paper before Percy closed it and laid back in bed.

"Too far." Hestia whispered. She threw the fireball into the fog, lighting up a larger portion -before it hit the shadow of someone with a large bow and short hair. For a second, the goddess mistook it for Thalia before realizing it was Artemis.

Curiosity piqued, she followed the shadow. There was Artemis, turning a mortal helicopter into a flock of ravens. Artemis welcoming Bianca into the Hunt. A dream, Artemis getting captured and taking the sky. Artemis, with a streak of gray hair, struggling under the burden before Percy took it from her. Artemis, fighting Atlas. Artemis, mourning Zoe. Artemis, talking at the war council. Fighting Typhon. At the awards ceremony.

Then Artemis sitting next to Apollo on Delos. Artemis, fighting the giants. Artemis, ordering him to stop and turn around. Then another dream, Artemis driving Percy out of her tent and shooting him in the chest. The next day, walking on eggshells to make sure that dream didn't become a reality. Then another dream, seeing himself tortured and kicking Artemis into a wall.

Hestia stopped and turned back -she felt dirty, looking at Percy's memories like a movie. Everything about him was in this mind, and he didn't remember any of it. Curiosity felt rude, poking around in his head.

The goddess walked backward, just past the Giant War, then ran to the side. Memories of camp, of dating Annabeth . . . The fog grew thicker, wet and heavy against her skin -she shivered. If there was anything more opposite to hearth and home than rain and fog, she had yet to find it. The fireball in her hand flickered and died, but she pressed on, even when the thunder started.

There was no way she was leaving until she was done.

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Hades flew backwards into the murk before landing on his back in the silt. Mud soaked into his already-ruined suit, but he climbed to his feet again, boots sinking into the silt. Poseidon flew at him, trident sinking into the silt after Hades jumped aside -into water lacking of a floor. They were on top of a shelf -a shelf that Hades just threw himself off of.

He drifted down, watching as more and more primeval fish swam past him. A few more curious ones were blasted away -before Poseidon came from beneath. His trident sank into the small of Hades' back before the Lord of the Dead spun, grabbing the Sea God's arm and flashing back into the Underworld.

They were falling, falling towards the Fields of Asphodel. Spirits wandered through the waist-high grass, gradually forgetting who they were -but the pair of falling gods caught everyone's attention.

Hades twisted, wrenching the trident out of his back and slamming his shield into Poseidon's wrists. The trident went flying one way and the Sea God another. Hades whistled, his chariot pulled up underneath.

When he found his brother, most of the bones in his body crushed from his impact on a stalagmite -ichor flowing freely from his body. But the god wasn't dead -he was a god, after all, and an Olympian no less.

"Give up, little brother. Before I have to injure you further." Hades said, real sadness in his voice. His shield disappeared as he turned the key embedded in the hilt of his sword, "If I touch you with this, your soul will be trapped in the Underworld forever. If you don't leave now, brother, I will be forced to use it on you -if only to end the pain you're feeling.

Poseidon's eyes widened -he opened his mouth to speak. But only blood came out.

"Goodbye, brother. I hope the next time we meet will be more amicable, unless you go tattling to Zeus." Hades waved his hand, flashing his brother to Apollo's palace on Olympus -in that state, he was too weak to resist.

The Lord of the Dead boarded his chariot again, heading in the opposite direction, "His trident should be somewhere around here . . ."

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Hestia stood in the darkest, thickest, wettest part of the fog. But now the water was warm and salty, as if these were Perseus' tears. It would be fitting, the goddess mused, considering the memory he has hidden here.

As she watched, an almighty flash lit up the fog around her. Percy ran out of his cabin, then coming to a complete stop as he saw the crater that used to be the Athena Cabin, finding Annabeth's dagger and sheath. Then discovering the supposed culprit, a son of Hecate. Hestia frowned. Whoever caused that explosion wouldn't allow themselves to be caught _that_ easily, would they?

Regardless, this was the best place to be.

Hestia took a deep breath, then opened her eyes in the real world. Athena, Artemis, and Demeter were all looking intently at her.

"Last chance to stop this. Anyone want to do anything else?" asked the Goddess of the Hearth.

The other three goddesses shook their heads.

Hestia closed her eyes again, concentrating. "Perseus. The blonde's name was Annabeth. There was an explosion that killed her and her half-family. Remember it, Perseus. You loved her. You faced death with her countless times. You were the brawn to her brains. Remember the explosion, Perseus."

As she was talking, her body was surrounded by fire. She was burning away the fog in Percy's mind.

"Can you see her? See the stormy gray eyes that you loved? The long blond hair? Remember the bright flash of light that tore her cabin apart. Remember the dagger you found." Hestia ordered, as if she could force the memory with sheer will.

Percy began shuddering, spasming. But a goddesses' strength had it's advantages. Then he screamed, loud and painful -Artemis had to look away from the display of naked agony. She had already seen it once, and this was worse than Hades' torturing.

Minutes later, the demigod slumped in his chair.

"What happens now?" Demeter asked, concerned.

Athena shrugged, "This is a pretty unique case. There are possibilities ranging from Percy becoming the man who almost died fighting the Ares Cabin, to staying the subservient boy he was before this. Or he could re-gain some of his personality while retaining his submissiveness. Or he could revert to himself at the end of his months with Demeter. Or-"

"So you're saying you have no idea what's going to happen." stated Artemis.

Athena looked away, ". . . maybe."

"Then let's wait and see." Hestia said with finality.

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Zeus looked at his unconscious brother, blood leaking from literally hundreds of wounds. "What -or who- did this?"

Apollo shrugged, "Who knows?"

"When will he recover?"

"It'll take a while, Pops. There were a lot of arteries cut, his insides are a mess and I'm not sure he has any blood left to bleed, 'cause it stopped coming out a while ago." Apollo shrugged again, "We'll just have to wait and see."

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Hades smiled as he lifted the trident from the ash that covered the Fields of Punishement. It had flown a _long_ ways, but he had it at last, "The symbol of another god, mine. I will be coming for you, Zeus. My armies are nearly gathered, and now I know where the Door of Orpheus is . . . right on the doorstep of Olympus."

The god lifted his arms -sword in one hand and trident in the other. Power flowed from both of them, hissing and crackling, "For now, I wait. But soon, soon I will sit on Zeus' throne, and hold his Bolt in my two hands. All will bow before me, and none will dare oppose me."

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 **A/N: Epic enough for you? The next time I update will be August 18 if I'm lucky, August 22 if I'm not.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Bleh. Just, bleh. Sorry for not posting this sooner, or on the day I promised at least, but I didn't think the cat would . . . Anyways, I got my computer fixed, lost about half of this chapter and had to re-write it. I hope I can post another chapter soon, cat-ly interruptions non-withstanding.**

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Chapter 8-

Lyra stalked through forest, seething. It wasn't enough that she had beaten the Goddess of the Hunt. It wasn't enough that she most likely killed one of the Hunters. It wasn't enough that she escaped with barely an injury.

Her fist slammed into a tree. They had laughed at her. _Laughed_ at her as she walked back into the camp, with arrows sticking out of her shoulder and thigh. They only went silent after she killed a Beta, but Lyra knew they were still laughing.

"Mother?" asked Resuza at their meeting, "Why did you run?"

 _Why did you run_? Why couldn't you kill them? You're the best Lyra, can't you do this? Maybe you aren't so good after all. Maybe you should go to the Omegas. Snivel and beg for food. That would suit a female.

A rabbit was left as a bloody smear across a tree after the seething werewolf stabbed it.

Why did you run? Why couldn't you handle it?

A wildflower was cut just under the bud, the bloom falling into the dirt.

Why did you run? Can't you free me from living with these creatures?

"It is for the best, daughter mine." she had replied, "Without my aegis, the Pack would make you an Omega. You are too soft at eight years of age. That's why I sent you here."

Lyra had plotted, schemed, given up blood, sweat and tears to become the Queen of the Pack. Under her, the Pack would be strong.

But she needed more allies, ones that the Pack didn't know about. Perhaps there was one at hand, one closer then she thought.

"Resuza." she said, "Bring the new Hunter. The male. I would like to talk to him."

He would make a useful pawn. Clearly, he was thought to be of no value, a slave toiling so that the high-and-mighty Hunters wouldn't have to. He was thought to be harmless.

Lyra would show them wrong. She would have that male give her Artemis' head after she chopped it off. After all, a servant is part of the scenery, oft ignored by those he serves. Who would desire the freedom Lyra could offer more then a slave?

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Percy rolled out of bed . . . directly on top of a maiden goddess. Athena let out a rather out of character shriek, throwing him off, "Perseus?!"

"Yeah?" he snarled, "What did you _do_ to me?

Athena was taken aback, for once having no idea what was going on, "We . . . helped you?"

Percy's eyes widened as he took in the three other goddesses in the room, then an expression of absolute horror overwrote his features, " _Oh my gods._ Annabeth."

He was gone before Athena could even _think_ of stopping him. Artemis stood from her position on the floor, looking at the tentflap, "I sincerely hope he doesn't run into one of my Hunters."

Demeter groaned, "Now what? I do not know about you, Artemis, but chasing a fleeing demigod is _not_ what I like to do first thing in the morning. That's if we _can_ find him."

Artemis bared her teeth, "It's been a while since I've hunted demigod."

She stepped out as well, calling the Hunt awake.

"Any idea of what happened to Percy?" Hestia asked, turning on Athena.

The goddess shrugged, "No. Perhaps the memories are taking a little while to sort themselves out, but we will know once Artemis brings Percy back."

"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Hestia pointed out, "He _is_ a more than capable swordsman."

"A swordsman who hasn't used a sword or dagger for over a year, barely had any training _with_ a dagger, and the only weapon he has on him is an alarm clock shaped like a rooster." replied the Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare, "Besides, only if he was in top form with Riptide in his hands would he be able to defeat a Hunter, and even then he wouldn't last very long against Artemis or one of the senior Hunters. I severely doubt he can do much with a rooster-shaped clock."

Demeter nodded, "I like that cluck."

"Cluck?" Athena turned to her, "If this is another one of your "puns," it is not humorous."

"Cluck, clock? I didn't have very good source material there," the Goddess of the Harvest shrugged.

"Boo." replied Hestia, completely bored.

Demeter frowned, "Boo?"

"Boo."

"I gathered that." Demeter shook her head like an annoyed bull, "What does it mean?"

The goddess sighed, "Bad job. Disapproval."

"Oh."

Silence again fell over the goddesses, all three of them waiting for Artemis to return. After all, how hard could it be for over fifty Hunters to capture one demigod?

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Athena stood as Artemis entered the tent with an trussed-up demigod, "How was it?"

"He didn't give me any trouble." answered Artemis. Percy was standing at the flap of Artemis' tent, completely silent and still, not struggling despite his bonds. "We found him like that."

Hestia stood as well, "Is there anything different from how he was before I cleared his memory?"

"Obviously." was Athena's reply, "The way he ran from the tent was clearly different, yet he seems to have none of the urgency he used to."

She rolled her eyes, turning back to Artemis, "Did _you_ notice anything different?"

"I just sent him back here." the Goddess of the Hunt turned to Percy, "We found him sitting on the ground, looking as dull as he did before."

The young girl playing with fire frowned, "I have no idea what's going on. Any ideas?"

Athena shrugged, "I prefer equations. Give me a two-loop hexagon Wilson loop any day."

"Does that even exist?" asked Demeter, who then turned to Hestia, "I have no idea of anything that's happened in the past ten minutes."

"Great." muttered the goddess, taking out a drachma and turning to Perseus, "Summon a rainbow."

A shimmering haze of droplets appeared, and the drachma was thrown into the mist, "Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, connect me to Psyche at Eros' Palace."

An astoundingly beautiful face appeared, looking into the rainbow, "Yes?"

"Psyche, I need your help." Hestia replied, "I'm in Artemis' tent when you're available."

"Nothing's going on right now." Psyche disappeared with a small pop, appearing next to her, "What do you need me for?"

"I have a young man here, and no idea what's going on with him." Hestia said, pointing at Perseus, "He went from desperately try to find his dead girlfriend to like _that_ in less then five minutes."

Psyche stepped forward, putting her hands on either side of Percy's head, "It's ever so dull in Eros' palace. I'm so glad you called me instead of Harmonia."

"Who's Harmonia?" asked Artemis.

Psyche sighed, "You high and mighty Olympians always ignore us minor gods. Do you even know what _my_ domain is?"

Artemis hesitated, ". . . no."

"The soul." Psyche stepped back from Percy, "You should be glad that Hestia called me. This is a very interesting case."

"What happened to him?" Athena asked, not liking being in the dark.

"Let me guess what happened first: His girlfriend died a while ago, which turned him like this, then you, Hestia, tried to strengthen the personality that he used to have. Is that correct?"

"Close enough." answered the goddess.

Psyche looked at her, "This is the first I've seen of something like this. His past memories have split his soul in half -half is what you see before you, the other half is the personality of memories of his life up to his girlfriend's death."

"How has this not happened in the past?" questioned the Goddess of Wisdom, "Given the amount of cases you've seen?"

"More importantly, can you fix it? Please tell me you can." pleaded Demeter.

Psyche sighed, "Would that I could, Demeter. And Athena, this doesn't happen because usually the first personality rejects the memories Hestia tried to strengthen. Something made him accept those memories and keep them away at the same time."

"So what can we expect?" Athena asked, logical as always.

"There are two souls, albeit small souls, in one body. One of them must control the body at all times, but they will most likely switch off in response to different stimulus. If I had to guess, I would say this one would have control most of the time, but I've also never seen a soul with so much pain inside. This is the _king_ of Dissociative Identity Disorder."

Meanwhile, Artemis was idly sharpening a knife. It was clear that, between them, Hestia and Athena would develop a plan while Demeter would make sure it wouldn't harm her servant any more. Artemis would just stab anyone who needed stabbing and capture Percy if he ran again.

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"It would be best to take Demeter's path." Athena decided, "If we can't heal him outright, at least this will begin to show results in a few years at the longest. Unless you can think of another solution, Hestia?"

The goddess shook her head, "None that I want to try."

Demeter tapped Artemis on the shoulder, "Did you hear that?"

"No."

"Then treat Percy as you did before. Occupy him, teach him not to fear you, don't treat him as a nonentity." Demeter paused, "And above all else, make him know he's valued."

Artemis nodded, fully intending to do about a quarter of what Demeter was suggesting. After all, he was a male and she couldn't spend time with males, and a healthy dose of fear would really extend his lifetime in the Hunt.

A triple flash of light heralded the goddess' departures, leaving Artemis to deal with the demigod, "Percy, continue doing your chores."

The son of Poseidon stepped outside, taking a deep breath of the night air before walking off to wash off the tables. It would be time for the Hunt's breakfast soon.

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Percy wasn't sure how he ended up facing piercing blue eyes, only remembering how an eight-year-old Hunter practically dragged him here -Resuza, her name was.

The owner of those eyes was tall, with long, soft brown hair going past her shoulders -she looked to be about twenty-two. High cheekbones were just under those blue eyes, and under them were graceful lips going down to a lithe, strong body. Hot wouldn't be a word that did her justice. Beautiful was more like it, and both power and intelligence radiated from her eyes. The last time he had seen those eyes, sadly, was when the werewolf was attacking Artemis. Which meant the demigod had no choice but to attack.

Annabeth's dagger flashed at the werewolf, only to go straight through her body. Lyra hadn't even bothered to block the strike, instead drawing a single shortsword and going on the offensive.

"You said this males' sword skills were lauded about in the Hunt." Lyra accused as she pressed the son of Poseidon backwards. She wasn't trying very hard, but even that was more than Percy could handle. "Perhaps his edge was dulled from an extended stay in the Underworld."

Their blades locked at chest level, but Lyra heaved the demigod off balance, then kicked his feet out from under him. Percy looked up to see a sword blade pointing at his eyes, Annabeth's dagger nowhere to be found.

"Give up, demigod. You are no match for me in your condition."

Percy growled, pushing himself to his feet and lunging at the werewolf bare-handed. Lyra simply laughed, opening a large cut down his forearm then kicking him away.

"If Artemis ordered him to kill you, he'll try until either you are dead or he is, mother." Resuza said quietly.

"But did you even hear an order, daughter mine?" Lyra asked, lifting Percy to his feet, "It is interesting that he is making decisions to follow Artemis' orders, even non-verbal ones. The way you described him would suggest the contrary."

Resuza looked at her feet, chastened but eager to prove that she wasn't wrong, "He spent the night in Artemis' tent. Could that do something?"

"I doubt it. Artemis has never shown an affinity for the workings of depression." Lyra blocked a roundhouse punch with an iron wrist, defending herself against the son of Poseidon with minimal effort, "Now, Perseus, I did not come here to kill you. I came to give you an option to get away from the Hunt. The Hunt that makes you sleep beside the fire, refusing even to give you a tent. The Hunt that forces you to do everything they don't want to. The Hunt that broke your nose, jaw, and cracked your ribs."

Percy pressed harder, swinging punches with all of his zero experience in the martial arts. Lyra blocked them with ease, having learned almost every kind of hand-to-hand fighting there was through the ages.

"I can make you powerful, Perseus. Feared. You could be the master of the Hunt instead of their slave -how does that sound? Artemis could be your pet, even. You could control her the way she controls you. Dominate her. How would it feel to break _Pheobe's_ jaw? Perhaps she would make a good slave to you. Did _you_ know that she and Artemis are lovers in a place that has forsworn romantic love?" Lyra smiled as she saw her words beginning to take effect, "Doesn't seem fair, does it? I can teach you to defy them. You need only join me. Become my protégé, and I will make you powerful again. All it takes is for you to stop struggling. Stop fighting me."

But Percy kept swinging. Lyra narrowed her eyes; she was far from done, "I doubt anyone has told you how many innocents -both male and female- Artemis has killed. The most recent was a man who grabbed her daughter to stop her from going to a bar -she was eighteen, I believe, underage in this country. Yet the man touched a female, so he is presumed guilty and killed. This year, Artemis has only killed five innocent males, and two innocent females -almost a record low for her. The first was a pair of bouncers denying a sixteen year-old girl entrance to a strip club. Then three police officers -two male, one female- arresting a women with ten kilos of opium and an arsenal of guns in her car. Artemis never bothers to learn who's on the side of justice. She simply kills, because that's all she knows how to do."

"Lastly, a mother trying to force her daughter to go to the hospital, literally dragging her out to the car where a man was waiting in a windowless van that was used to store medical equipment -her grandfather was dying, along with now her mother and father after Artemis was done with them." Lyra did her best to not smile as her word hit -and hit hard, "I have followed the Hunt for centuries, visiting every single scene Artemis has created. I have found every mortal she killed, and guess how many of them are innocent? One-fourth. Of every four mortals she kills, one of them was simply in a bad place at a bad time."

Percy sagged, his fists opening and falling to his sides. How could he really serve someone like that?

"You see what you just did? You defied Artemis -she doesn't control you completely. You can make her answer for her crimes, but do not do so yet. Because now, I will train you to be a better fighter than even Artemis."

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Demeter walked through the hallways of Hades' kingdom, frowning. Something was off about Percy's field -and she wanted it to be perfect if he returned or died.

But what she saw through a window wasn't what she expected -rows and rows of skeletons were standing in the barley section of the field, tearing up the dirt with metal boots as they marched.

"My apologies for this." said a soft, sneering voice. Hades. "The only way for this company to move where they needed to was through your field. Otherwise, I would have needed to displace two whole regiments."

Demeter's eyes narrowed, "What are you planning, Hades?"

"Simply preparing my forces for the next threat to Olympus." Hades replied innocently -if that was even a possibility.

The goddess scowled, "Bull. You're planning to _be_ the next threat to Olympus."

"Perhaps." Hades drew his sword, "But you could join me."

"After you abducted my daughter?" shot Demeter, venom in her voice.

"That was millenia ago, and we are still in love -unlike you and the man who gave you my wife."

The goddess' scowl deepened as she tried to flash away -but couldn't. Hades laughed, "Don't even try, mother-in-law. I encased the entire palace in Stygian Iron ore -you cannot escape. Need I chain you to your throne?"

"No." Demeter stalked off with Hades close behind, entering the throneroom and sitting in her Underworld throne. She was caught, fair and square, and the Goddess of Pig-Farming was no fighter.

"Pity. I think I'll chain you anyways." the god waved his hand, summoning chains of Stygian Iron that wrapped themselves around her. Now Demeter was truly helpless, her powers bound and her back trapped to the throne.

Hades circled her, as if inspecting a prize, "I will procure some more elegant chains soon enough, but these will hold for now. Soon I will rule from Olympus, and Persephone will be by my side every day. No longer will I have to dread her leaving me. I won her heart, Demeter, yet you denied me her presence for half the time! I will _not_ allow that to continue."

With that, the King of the Underworld stomped away, throwing a few words over his shoulder as he went through the door, "It's only because of her that _you're_ still alive."

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Lyra smirked at the demigod who was walking away with her adopted daughter. She was confident that Percy was entirely hers -or would be if no one found out what happened. With two agents in the Hunt, both practically lifted above suspicion, Lyra could begin her endgame. How could anyone not support her if she made her comeback in triumph, with the Hunt completely annihilated?

On the flip side, Percy had qualms about what lay ahead -he wanted to be in control of himself, but he couldn't tell Artemis about Lyra. But Artemis was an Olympian, he can't lie to an Olympian.

That was Resuza's job.

"Perseus? Where were you for the past hour?" Artemis asked, her eyes also focusing on Resuza.

Resuza smiled cutely, looking like the eight-year old she was, "He was fixing my tent. It broke."

Artemis smiled at her, "Well, then go off to practice your knives."

The Hunter nodded, racing off while the goddess turned to Percy, "Do you have time to sharpen and polish my knives in addition to your chores?"

Percy nodded while Artemis frowned. How can she force him to speak if he kept being like this? The goddess unsheathed her knives and gave them to Percy, "What do you think of your time here? You must speak."

"My thoughts are not important, Lady Artemis, only your comfort." Percy replied.

"I asked you for your _thoughts_. Not how important they are." Artemis narrowed her eyes.

Percy didn't meet her eyes -it was improper for a demigod to look in the eyes of a god, "It is kinder than Lord Hades' palace."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not tortured daily." Percy said, something about that statement struck Artemis as different, but she couldn't figure out what.

"Say that again." she ordered.

"I am not tortured daily." he dutifully repeated.

Artemis shook her head, "No. Your exact words."

"I am not tortured daily." replied the demigod, sounding out each syllable.

"You used I'm. You haven't done that before."

Percy hesitated, taking her words for disapproval, "I will take every effort not to use contractions, Lady Artemis."

Artemis waved it away, "No. You will speak as you wish to. If you wish to you use contractions, you will. Swear it."

"I swear on the Styx to speak how I wish to." Percy replied. Far above them, thunder crackled, "Are you a satisfied?"

"Yes." Artemis walked away, taking out her bow. Perseus had indeed changed –some good hunting was required to figure out just what to do.

Meanwhile, Percy was crouched in the Armory with a hunting knife in both hands, holding it against one of the Hunt's sharpening wheels. It was only a few minutes before both knives were razor-sharp and ready for action, which left only the polish -and if there was one thing Hades always demanded, it was that all the metal he wore be perfectly polished at all times.

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Demeter glared at her captor as he approached, carrying two set of handcuffs.

Hades smiled when he saw her, "You will see the better world I am making, Demeter, and you will wonder why you ever tried to resist my revolution."

Carefully, the god undid the chains that pinned the goddess to her then cuffed both of her wrists down. Now she was truly trapped, unless she would pay the price of a pair of mangled hands.

"What do you mean by a "better world," Hades?" Demeter snarled, "One where your word is law? Where anyone who disagrees with you disappears during the night?"

Hades shrugged, "Close, but no. After I rebuild the world, no one will be an outcast. No one will be the least favorite, or the fifth wheel. Everyone will be valued, no matter who their parents are, no matter how they look, or act, or speak."

"As slaves." muttered the goddess.

"If the situation calls for it. Slavery has been accepted as a necessary part of society for millenia, and soon the people will see the need for cheaper labor." Hades smiled, "I thought you would understand, Demeter. All of the most cost-effective farms were full of slaves at one point, before machines started replacing them."

Demeter frowned angrily, "No. Slavery isn't as efficient as a machinery, and everyone knows that."

Hades stroked his chin, "Come to think of it, computers and machinery are also something I need to limit. How many people would still be jobless if machines could no longer do their work? Less, certainly. Humanity has gotten by without machines for millenia, without nearly the amount of war that exists today -or, at least, not the level of destruction. Perhaps I will turn the clock back a few centuries."

The Goddess of the Harvest vainly tested the handcuffs, soon discovering that they were locked securely. Quality worksmanship, probably from one of Hades' dead craftsmen -and no real way to escape them. She would have to wait for someone to rescue her, or resign herself to a long life as Hades' prisoner. Neither of those options sounded very good.

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Artemis knew she shouldn't go hunting alone- not after the werewolf attack- but there were too many things on her mind to just sit down and do whatever. The first of which being whether to split the Hunt: The werewolves have gotten brazen again, attacking her like that. But, if the brown-haired women was anything to go by, they were also insanely powerful and skilled enough to take on her Hunters with ease. She needed to force a battle with the advantages on her side, but how could that happen without knowing where the werewolfs were?

The second thing was the puzzle known as Perseus Jackson: As a man -male, she corrected herself- this was exactly how he should be -completely subservient and working to do everything the superior gender doesn't want to. Why did she want more from him, then?

"He rescued me. I have to repay my debt." Artemis said aloud. But the words tasted sour in her mouth. What could she want from the demigod who already gave so much?

Artemis froze, seeing a stag only fifty meters away. Silver was less than useless as camouflage, but luckily the animal wasn't facing her. It was large, an eight-pointer who was striding rather docilely away from her.

The goddess crept forward, trying to keep in the places the buck couldn't see while still being in a good position for a killing shot -while also watching her step. Hunting was a jumbled mess of one-hundred and one things a Hunter needed to keep track of -and there was never a better Hunter than Artemis. Well, there was one, but she wasn't here, and Orion didn't even deserve to be _called_ a Hunter.

She took a slow, long breath before drawing back the bow and almost carelessly loosing the arrow. _Scrape-slither_ it went, flashing across the forest. The buck jumped as it felt the sting of the arrow, but it was too late.

Some time later -and after killing an elk as well- Artemis returned to the Hunt's home to find Percy with her knives stuck in his belt, carrying a load of wood to the central fire.

"My knives, Perseus?" the goddess asked, holding out her hands.

Percy dropped the firewood to take the knives from his belt, placing the hilts in Artemis' hands. She looked at the wood now scattered around the pair of them, "Next time, Perseus, drop off the firewood before doing what I ask unless I say otherwise."

The demigod nodded mutely as the Goddess of the Moon looked to the sky, "It'll be dark soon. I have a stag and elk for you to skin and dress, then you're done for the day. They're hung at the edge of the clearing, near Resuza's tent."

The son of Poseidon nodded again, waiting for Artemis to turn before he walked off -it wasn't polite to turn your back to a god, much less an Olympian.

The bull elk and buck were just where Artemis said they were, hanging from a low branch near Resuza's tent.

"What are you doing here, Per- male?" asked the werewolf's spy, "Did _she_ send you?"

"Artemis sent me to skin the deer and elk." replied the demigod, looking at them.

"Well, that's kind of her to let _you_ do the dirty work." Resuza said sarcastically, "Do you need any help pulling the skin?"

"No." Percy responded, slowly peeling away the skin of the elk and hung that as well -Artemis would want it, and he could get to cleaning it later.

It was a while before he was finished, and an even longer while before he realized he couldn't find the journal, but in the end he just shrugged it off. If one of the Hunters or Artemis had it, what right did he have to deny them it?

Slowly breathing out, Percy curled up next to the fire and promptly fell asleep.

-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-

Percy groaned as he uncurled, climbing to his feet and looking around for Artemis -she would have his list of chores for the day.

Failing to find her outside -and seeing that the sentry on duty was ignoring his very existence- he stood outside of Artemis' tent, "Are you awake, Lady Artemis?"

Inside, Artemis groaned. She clearly remembered being in bed and even falling asleep, which meant this was a dream -and that she was dreaming of Perseus again. She stretched as she rolled out of bed, listening to her timberwolf's -Amber's- snores. Only after the goddess put on the Hunter's outfit did she reply to Percy, however.

"Now I am, Perseus." Artemis replied, looking up at the sky, "It's eleven-thirty. What are you doing awake?"

"Chores."

"At eleven-thirty? The sun went down three hours ago, so what are you doing awake?"

Percy blinked as if something had just occurred to him, "If that displeases you, Lady Artemis, I will sleep again."

"Give me an answer that isn't that, Perseus." ordered the goddess.

"I am awake, and thus ready to do chores."

Artemis sighed, rubbing her temples, "Rule five -Any time you have before the sun comes up and after the sun comes down is your own to use, so long as it doesn't interfere with anything I want. Got it?"

Percy nodded silently.

"Don't you have something you want to do?"

He shook his head.

"Great. Just great." Artemis shook her head, annoyed, then thought of a very particular something that Thalia had introduced to the Hunt. The goddess snapped her fingers, summoning a pencil and writing something down on a piece of paper, which she handed to Percy, "Go to your tent and figure out what it means."

Again came the puzzled look -to his knowledge, Artemis never gave him a tent.

The goddess face-palmed, "Of course not. Your tent is about thirty meters in front of me and ten to the left. Athena retrieved all your belongings and put them there."

Percy nodded, once.

"What are you waiting for? Run along." ordered the goddess. The demigod nodded again, walking off in a straight line while Artemis ducked back inside her own tent. She reached into a drawer, withdrawing the laptop Thalia recommended. If Percy could figure out what she wrote, he'd be on the server soon.

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Percy looked around "his" tent -and was surprised about the amount of stuff there. On top of the bed were rows of neatly folded clothes that weren't black tunics. Piled on a desk were a collection of smaller items -a hat, a laptop, a horn, the journal -to his relief-, and a dozen other things. The problem was, the only thing he really knew was his was the journal and the rooster-clock.

He picked up the Minotaur Horn, then staggered back as memories flashed through him -of hooking his arms around the very same horn, riding a monstrous bullman before it broke off then using it to kill the beast. For a second, the blond even snapped into full focus for a minute, and he could remember her name. Ann. Ann Cass. Or something like that.

There was also a pen lying on the desk, but he ignored and picked up the hat. It was a Yankee's cap, well-worn. Then the subservient Perseus disappeared, and in his place was the man who had chased his death so ardently before.

Percy picked up the pen, uncapping it and smiling. He drew Annabeth's dagger, looking at the inscripted words. Then slowly drew it across his arm, a long, straight cut. His hand unclenched, the piece of paper fluttering to the ground, lying there for Percy's vision.

minecraft. artemis. net

Factions of the Hunt

The demigod grinned -he had wanted to create a server at Camp Half-Blood, but Chiron denied it despite the camp's magical borders, though it looked like the Hunt had no such inhibitions.

He grabbed Daedalus' laptop, booting in less than a millisecond. SEAWEED BRAIN and he was in, starting Minecraft and entering the IP address.

"Welcome to Factions of the Hunt! No PvP or mining within eighty blocks of spawn!" said a sign at spawn.

P3rs3us joined the game.

Welcome, P3rs3us.

 **[Chat] Art3mis- Hello.**

Percy grinned. Whatever he was doing in the Hunt, at least Artemis wasn't castrating him. Maybe this would be fun after all.

[Chat] P3rs3us- Hey

[Chat] **Art3mis- You know how to play?**

[Chat] P3rs3us- Yeah

 **[Chat] Art3mis- Wait.**

Artemis teleported to the spawn, giving Percy an assortment of stone tools and some steak.

[Chat] P3rs3us- Thx

 **[Chat] Art3mis- What?**

[Chat] P3rs3us- Thanks

 **[Chat] Art3mis- No problem.**

Artemis smiled back in her tent -if she could get him to play Minecraft regularly, it _might_ just make him talk a little more. Maybe, but it was worth a shot.

 **[Chat] Art3mis- Have fun. I'm getting some sleep.**

[Chat] P3rs3us- Gnight

 **Art3mis left the game.**

Percy smiled, now having the world to himself. He started running, passing through a faction's territory and kept running until he was just outside, then dug a nice little burrow -just enough room for a bed, a chest, and a torch and completely sealed off from the world. If this was factions, he didn't want to become noticed too soon.

-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-

The subservient demigod uncurled himself from next to the fire, shaking his head from his dream the night before. He could remember it strangely clearly, up to the point where he picked up the hat. He could even remember that Artemis said he had a tent, but that was obviously made up. Servants slept on the floor, or on straw if the master was as kind as Hades. They didn't get the lavish tent of a Hunter. He must've woken up after he picked up the hat, though, he didn't remember anything past that.

Sighing, he stood up just in time to see a young woman enter Artemis' tent -someone with black hair and green eyes, who wore a variation on what Lyra wore. The demigod got to his feet and followed, interested by the girl and intent on getting his list of chores.

"Lily?" he heard from inside the tent, "Your little brother got here a while ago."

"I know." the young woman -Lily- replied, "I saw him next to the fire. I'll go meet him after I'm done reporting to you."

Then Percy walked into the tent, taking in the new girl. Lily looked about twenty-one or two, compared to Artemis' eighteen, with features startlingly similar to Percy's.

"Or you can meet him now." Artemis suggested, "Perseus, this is your older sister. Liliana."

* * *

 **A/N:** **Does anyone know of a character named Art3mis who is associated with games/plays video games from a book? If not, I might leave and never come back.**

 **I** **also just finished watching Deathnote, so if you're interested look out for a one-shot that I'll be posting hopefully soon.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay, I was lying a bit when I said I might leave. But I'm glad at least two, maybe three people have read Ready Player One. If you haven't, I will track you down, put the book in your hands, and trap you in a windowless room until you read it. Well, maybe not, but seriously: It's a good read.**

Chapter 9-

* * *

" _Perseus, this is your older sister. Liliana."_

Liliana turned to him. She was tall, taller than Perseus and well-built. A hand-and-a-half sword hung from her waist, along with what looked like a wooden dowel but probably wasn't. She looked almost like an older twin of Percy, with the same black hair -going past the shoulder- and sea-green eyes, "Nice meeting you at last, but there's something else I have to do before we can catch up."

Her gaze flickered to Artemis and back, "Actually, come with us. I'd like to teach him how, Lady Artemis."

The goddess sighed, "Very well."

Artemis walked off, both Liliana and her little brother following close behind. The Medical Tent's flap was open, and the daughter of Poseidon could see Pheobe's inert form. "You didn't tell me it was Pheobe who needed me."

Celyn stood from Pheobe's bedside, "Lily!"

Liliana waved a hand, "Later. You have a syringe?"

The daughter of Apollo nodded, reaching into a drawer and withdrawing an empty syringe, tossing it. The daughter of Poseidon snatched it out of the air, filling it with a mixture of nectar and water, "The first thing you do to fix internal damage is tell exactly _where_ it is. Reach out with your senses and find the hydrogen in the room. Might help if you closed your eyes first."

Percy closed his eyes dutifully, and in his mind's eye he could see the blood pumping through his body, Artemis' and everyone else in the room. He could feel the syringe full of nectar and water, and something off about Pheobe's body.

"You probably see it by now. The blood in Pheobe's body is flowing weirdly, because she's bleeding inside." Liliana concentrated, carefully bringing the syringe down and injecting it's contents, "Normally, the nectar would be washed away in the rush of blood. Since liquids other than water can be a real bitch to manipulate, I'm using the water to hold it in place."

As Percy sensed, the hole inside Pheobe was slowly closing as the nectar did it's work, and Liliana leaned back, "She'll live, but I don't know when she'll wake up."

She didn't even break a sweat, but there was a sheen on Percy's forehead form sensing the water for so long. Then the daughter of Poseidon grabbed Percy's arm, "With your leave, Lady Artemis?"

"Hold up. I will be present for this." Artemis ordered, "The last time you caught up with a new sister, you convinced her that _you_ were _me_."

"Only a bit of fun, Arty."

The three of them left together, heading back to Artemis' Tent, the goddess taking a seat on the floor, "Knowing Perseus, he'll say the least he can. I'll fill you in on everything else."

"Liliana was the only demigod in my original entourage of nymphs. When I learned I had to limit my interactions with mortals, it was her idea to create a group of companions partially immortal to get around that. She was the first Hunter." Artemis said, "She's also the strongest."

"Oh come on, Arty." groaned the Hunter, "Not this again. You did the same thing to the last daughter of Poseidon who joined."

Meanwhile, Percy was shocked. So much so that his subservient side was left in the dirt as his other half trampled over it to learn more, "I have family here?"

"Yeah. Maiya and Mairi are staying in Japan, I think. Talia's in Denver shutting down a brothel, and Ava's rescuing a few girls from a human-trafficking gang in Texas that decided to keep them for some crime boss. Verona's a high-ranking police Marshal some place or another, and there's a baby a bit more than a year old who _might_ be a legacy with powers." Lily smiled, "Don't look so surprised. The Hunt is a lot bigger than you think it is. The last time it was called together was when we put a barrier around that one city in Puerto Rico."

If Percy's jaw could've dropped any further, it would, "Wait, why haven't I seen them before?"

"Because they're powerful, and so are used where they're needed."

"Then why are you here?" Percy asked.

"To spy on the Pack."

"Okay? Wait, you said a few daughters of Poseidon were in Japan, and another was a police Marshall?"

Lily ran her fingers through her hair, "If we cause a scene or need an option other than killing, Verona handles it. Maiya and Mairi are actually daughters of Neptune from when Olympus was in Japan, but they decided to stay there and send any recruits they find our way. Of course, they still come when we call."

"Just _how_ big _is_ the Hunt?" Percy asked.

"In all? About one-fifty to two-hundred. Not more than two-fifty. Unlike Camp Half-Blood, we're charged with keeping the monster population down across the country, with means a lot of small groups. Some are in other countries with families of legacies, sending any recruits here and getting allies. The recruits are trained here, then sent on missions. The Pack cottoned on about two million years ago, and have been trying to counter us with the same methods. Of course, killing our recruits would set us back a long ways, so he keeps a force of his recruits here as well to attack. If they die, no big deal -only recruits, after all. Lady Artemis decides instead to keep a few senior Hunters -like Pheobe or Zoe- here to bolster the ranks."

"So the new Hunters come here, gain experience fighting werewolfs, then you send them off somewhere else?"

"Basically, yes. The last big fight between the Hunt and Pack was in Puerto Rico. All of the Hunt together, against all of the Pack. We thought if we could post our best and most experienced in the perimeter, they could protect the rooks inside. Obviously, that didn't work. They won, but luckily the Council decided to reward us by bringing our fallen sisters back from the dead."

"Oh." With that, Percy's mind calmed once again and the servitude pounded into him by Hades took control again, "With your leave, Lady Artemis, I will begin the chores."

Artemis missed none of that, plucking the list off of her desk, "Here."

Percy turned and left, hearing only a few more snatches of conversation.

"You have him doing the chores?" asked Lily

"His sentence is servitude." Artemis replied, "Now, your report?"

The demigod tucked the list in the belt of his tunic -he hadn't exactly gotten the time nor the clothes to change over the past two days- and mechanically washed the tables. Meanwhile, the Hunt filtered in just in time to see Percy's retreating back.

Meanwhile, Artemis and Lily were still talking, "Perseus usually isn't so talkative as he was talking with you."

"You're getting side-tracked, my Lady. To finish my report, Lycaon has sent me to pinpoint and kill the Hunt's spy in the Pack -so I need to choose another werewolf to take the blame and be executed." Lily smiled. "Now, what were you saying?"

"Perseus. He usually isn't so talkative."

" _And_ you like him." added the daughter of Poseidon with a smile.

Artemis turned red, "No! I . . . I just want to help him, that's all. Period."

"So you call him Perseus instead of male or boy, watching him even when I'm talking, interrupt me to talk about him, and make note of his behavior enough to tell that he isn't usually as talkative. Please. The fact that he's still alive tells me more than enough." Lily's smile grew wider as Artemis' face grew redder.

"No! There's _nothing_ between us!"

"No, but you want there to be." Lily laughed, "Don't worry, it isn't _that_ obvious. But next time, say something along the lines of "You seriously think _I_ would like Persues?" and dismiss whoever asked. Oh, and Pheobe will probably figure it out eventually, so good luck."

"We broke up." Artemis said in a _very_ small voice.

Lily nodded, "I already know. And Pheobe's right -you need to give the rooks more training and discipline. They may not like it, but they have extra time since Percy's doing the chores. You've let them relax since the Giant War ended, but Orion is still a prime example of why we train."

"Speaking of that male, have you found him?"

"No. He left the Pack six weeks ago and hasn't been seen since. Is there anything I can help you with here?"

"Maybe." Artemis said quietly, "I had a dream about Percy playing on the server. And now I'm wondering if I should let him. If I do, it could make him speak more, but the Hunt might be annoyed, and he might not even _want_ to play. Then what?"

"Wow. You're head-over-heels for him." commented the daughter of Poseidon, "For one, if Percy isn't dead yet the Hunt won't mind him playing. Second, you're over-analyzing this. If Percy doesn't want to play, he won't play. And if you're desperate enough to think of _Minecraft_ as a solution, you need another. The Hunt worships you, Artemis, we'd all help you if you asked."

"Except for you."

"I'll be the one breaking Percy's arm if he messes up, or your's if you don't 'fess up." Liliana smiled, "Honestly, you're the great Pheobe Artemis of the Hunt, Olympian goddess of the Moon and all that jazz. You'll make it work."

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Percy was going to one very specific place in the woods, under the guise of collecting wildflowers -most of the Hunters liked them to add a bit of color to their tents.

"You're here." Lyra cocked her head, "I didn't think you'd come."

"I did." shrugged the more vocal Perseus.

"I gathered that." the werewolf gestured to a place about three meters away, "Did you bring your sword?"

"Yeah." Percy reached into the pocket of the tunic, his hand closing around the pen he knew would be there.

"Good."

Lyra attacked without warning, as she always did -and always would. She limited herself to one shortsword, making the bout last about ten seconds instead of two or three before Percy was lying in the dirt, Riptide buried in a tree and his dagger sunk to the hilt in dirt.

"That was terrible, Perseus Jackson." commented the alpha female, pulling Percy to his feet, "You're still wasting movement and energy in your stance."

This time, the timer would've stopped at twelve seconds if whoever was timing had particularly slow reactions.

"What am I doing wrong?"

"Everything, for one." Lyra stated calmly, "You keep forgetting which hand holds your sword and which holds the dagger. You keep swinging so that your fist would hit me, not your blades. You have strength, but you aren't using it."

"Is there anything I'm doing _right_?"

"You're holding your dagger in your left hand, even if the grip is completely wrong." Lyra shrugged, "The first thing you need to do is remember _how_ to fight, and I don't feel like holding back for you. Eight years old is about your size right now."

Resuza stepped into the clearing, looking remarkably devious for an eight-year old. Percy personally wouldn't be surprised if she was thousands of years old, but then wasn't the time to ask. Besides, it's impolite to ask a woman their age.

"Oh, good. You're here." Lyra said, pulling her 'daughter' into a hug, whispering instructions into her ear. "Do me proud."

Once they separated, the pseudo-Hunter drew her knives and circled the demigod, much like her adopted mother did. Percy narrowed his eyes, trying to see something he knew he _should_ be seeing. Something about stance. . .

The demigod decided to attack first, his two blades swinging in vicious arcs at the eight year-old Hunter, who deflected them with her knives and lunged inwards. They fought back and forth, Percy trying -and failing, for the most part- to use the length of Riptide coupled with his massive strength to crush Resuza, while the young Hunter used her quick, small form to dodge the blades when she could and deflect them when she couldn't.

"That's enough for now." Lyra ordered after a particularly vicious clash, "Perseus, do you see how she deflected your blows instead of blocking them? If your opponent is stronger than you, deflecting is generally better. If he or she is weaker, blocking their blows also grants you opportunities. Resuza, Perseus was using the length of Riptide to keep you back, so you need to get inside his guard. Again."

They attacked each other with gusto, blows being traded. Both knew the other's strategy, and both knew the strengths of their own weapons. In the end, it was Percy who dealt the crushing blow that ripped a knife from Resuza's hands. From there, it was only a matter of time before the Hunter lost her second hunting knife.

"Congratulations, Perseus. You managed to defeat an eight year-old." Lyra said, sarcasm dripping from her voice, "Resuza, you did well, but Perseus was out of practice and more used to wielding a broom than a sword. He should re-gain his edge in, oh, three or four weeks. What did you two do wrong?"

"I started retreating, and once I did I couldn't stop." Resuza admitted, "I also tried to block at the end, but he was too strong."

"Good. Perseus?"

"I let her keep ducking away from me. I should've cornered her against a tree or something." Percy shrugged.

"Good. Remember this: In a duel with Artemis, she will be the one ducking away and dodging. That's her style. So you need to corner her, Perseus, and hamper her mobility." Lyra said, "That's enough for today."

They all separated, heading off in different directions: Lyra to gain more supporters in the Pack, Perseus to collect more bouquets of wildflowers, and Resuza to hop on the Hunt's Minecraft server.

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Thalia cracked her knuckles, noticing Percy enter her tent with a bunch of wildflowers and replace the ones formerly there. Then a bolt of sheer genius alighted on her forehead

"Hey, Perce! I need a few stacks of wood, so hop on and join us." ordered the daughter of Zeus, messily scrawling the IP address and name of the Hunt's server on a piece of paper and giving it to him. It was a slight movement, but significant.

It was all that was needed to bring the memories of last night back to the son of Poseidon, who grinned and took the piece of paper. Being the closest to the center of camp, Thalia was his last stop -which meant he was now free to gather a few stacks of wood for Thalia.

"I don't have a tent."

"Sure you do. Artemis said they put everything you had in a tent about thirty meters in front of her tent and ten to the left. Daedalus' laptop should be there."

Soon after, this popped up:

P3rs3us joined the game.

 **[Chat] L1ghtn1ngGurl- hey kelp head!**

 **[Chat] C3lyn- ?**

 **[Chat] Ph3ob3- Him?**

Thalia -aka L1ghtn1ngGurl- teleported to spawn, giving Percy a bunch of stone tools and some steak -scarily reminiscent of Artemis in his dream. He shook the thought out of his mind -just a coincidence or the Fates messing with him.

 **[Chat] L1ghtn1ngGurl- follow me**

[Chat] P3rs3us- k

They ran together, again following an eerily similar route to the one Percy took, until they reached a dark oak forest.

 **[Chat] L1ghtn1ngGurl- msg when u have 4 stacks**

[Chat] P3rs3us- k

Eventually -about half-way through the stone axe Thalia had given him- the excitement of playing Minecraft again wore off, and his subservience took control again. But never let it be said the son of Poseidon didn't pick up videogames quickly. His axe broke after he gathered two stacks of wood, prompting him to figure out _how_ to build another axe. It couldn't be simpler, it turned out, but Percy was still thankful for the wonderful expanse of the internet.

[Chat] P3rs3us- done

 **[Chat] L1ghtn1ngGurl- meet me here -379 4 -279**

This again confused the subservient demigod, until he looked it up and discovered the coordinate system. It was easy from there, and the meeting point was close by.

Thalia was there when he arrived, and he had a feeling the daughter of Zeus would be tapping her foot impatiently -if she could as a collection of blocky arms and legs.

 **[Chat] L1ghtn1ngGurl- wood**

 **Ph3ob3 was killed by C3lyn.**

[Chat] P3rs3us- here

 **[Chat] Ph3ob3- rematch**

He threw the stacks of dark oak on the ground, but Thalia only took three of them.

 **[Chat] L1ghtn1ngGurl- take it & build something for u**

Percy stepped forward, absorbing the last stack and turned, recognizing the terrain. If there was a little hole where his "dream" said there would be, then it wasn't a dream. If there wasn't, it _was_ just a dream and he was worrying too much.

Good news: There was no little cavity, no bed, no chest, no torch. Bad news: Torches would really good right now, as night fell and the zombies were after him.

Percy ran -with no armor and a nearly-broken stone axe, he really didn't want to fight anything. Just as he thought the Zombies were safely in the dust, he ran into a clearing in the woods that was surrounded by torches. In the center were two figures in diamond armor, whacking each other with enchanted diamond swords: Ph3ob3 and C3lyn.

On instinct, the son of Poseidon crouched, backing away -right into a Creeper. He looked at the death screen for about a minute, then closed Minecraft and took to his feet again -the chores had to be done by the end of the day, then he might have some free time to hop back on.

Next on the list was beating the dust out of Artemis' furs.

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Lyra walked through the woods with one purpose: Finding one of the most influential Betas. _The_ most influential, some might say.

She went quiet as her target walked into view, then boldly stepped out of the trees to join her, "Liliana. A little bird told me the most terrible thing about you."

"Which little bird, and why?"

"If I say, it will be the last thing you-"

"It was Perseus Jackson." the daughter of Poseidon said, bored, "Who you are grooming to be Artemis' assassin, to defeat the Hunt with those few wolfs still loyal, then return and supplant Lycaon. Spot on, right?"

"How-"

"A little spider climbed the waterspout and whispered it in my ear." smiled Liliana, and she had her chosen weapon out -a halberd that collapsed into a thin stick of wood. Gleaming silver topped the weapon -if needed, it could turn to Celestial Bronze, Stygian Iron, Imperial Gold, or even mortal steel. "Here's the deal: You don't spill my beans, I don't spill yours."

Lyra growled. The halberd was one of the few weapons that was really effective against her twin shortswords -there was no way for her to get withing the halberd's massive reach without it being buried in her side. And even if she did, the Hunter spy would shorten it's length and stay on the attack. Whatever advantage Lyra had in skill would be more than negated.

At least, that's what happened in their last match.

"Fine." Lyra spat, "But I _will_ destroy the Hunt. First your recruits, then the rest."

"You go right ahead. After Lady Artemis kills all of you, including your pathetic "King."

The werewolf snarled, wanting more than anything draw her swords and teach this traitor a lesson. But they both knew what would happen: They would fight, Lyra would retreat and tell the Pack that Liliana was the spy, Liliana would tell the Pack that Lyra was trying to kill Lycaon, then they'd both be killed. To the Hunter, that would be a victory even if she died. To Lyra, that would be death and only death.

"And that's even after I kill you right in front of Percy." Liliana grinned, " _No one_ betrays the Hunt and gets away free, not even my brother."

"Brother, eh?" Lyra now wore the grin as Liliana blanched, having said more than she planned, "That'll be a cold comfort after he kills you."

"As if. You really did _no_ research on him, did you?" the Hunter knew who Percy really was -and what his fatal flaw was as well.

"What, his misguided sense of loyalty? Loyalty to the Hunt that treats him no better than a tool? Or to the person who actually values him and would free him from that?"

"Oh, so you do value him, do you? Is that a hint of love I hear in your voice?" Liliana smirked, "You're twenty-one. He's eighteen. It's only _three years_."

Lyra forced a laugh past shocked lips, "Me, the alpha female, love someone? You're crazy."

Liliana froze, " _Di immortals_. You actually _do_ like him. That's exactly what you told me to say if anyone thought I liked Hydrus."

To her credit, Lyra didn't even pause. But it was in the open now, something which scared her immeasurably, "Why? Did you want him all to yourself?"

The Hunter actually recoiled at that, but recovered just as quickly, "Is that one of your dirty fantasies, Lyra? Never thought you would be the kind of girl who'd enjoy that."

"With that mind, I wonder what your "Lady" does with you at your little camp." Lyra smirked, "I bet she loves you calling her "Mistress" like that."

Liliana smiled, hiding her disgust at the werewolf, "So what if she does? It's more action than you're getting with my brother."

Lyra eyed the daughter of Poseidon uncertainly, not knowing what was the truth. All of her observances told her that Artemis was in a relationship with one of her Hunters, but the tents were soundproofed and almost like Faraday cages -sealed in but for one entrance, and well insulated.

"No words, Lyra?" the Hunter smirked, walking away. The werewolf scowled, realizing that she'd won and too late to say anything about it. The scowl deepened.

As Liliana walked, she was faced with an unanswerable question: It was her job to report anyone in the Hunt who spied for the werewolves. But if she reported on Percy, his fate would be certain, and she honestly liked Percy from the few minutes she spent with him. At the same time, if he could be turned on Lyra, he would be a very useful asset against the werewolves.

In the end, the Hunter convinced herself that the only real option was to meet Percy again, and drive him away from Lyra, or drive him away from the Pack's and Hunt's neverending conflict.

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Far beneath them all, Hades faced his army: Billions and billions of undead warriors, all loyal to a fault but with no free will. He turned to the people who would be leading them: Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone would of course be three of them. The Furies were well-versed in the strategies of the ages. They would make good generals. Nico believed fully in the world Hades would create, and his boyfriend Will Solace -while not as enthusiastic- would follow him.

Minos was eager to achieve Elysium, and was an able commander in his own time. Daedalus had been order to gather people to handle the logistics. Hitler was also eager, all too willing to get revenge against the children of Poseidon and Zeus, even if his skills were poorly lacking as a general, Hades had another purpose for him. Rommel -beside him- felt the same, and Hermann Balck was now exactly where he wanted to be- fighting on the front lines, beside his leaders and heroes.

The rest were a mixture of ruthless and effective commanders from the past, all brought through the Doors of Death. There weren't _that_ many -as powerful as Hades was, he couldn't animate all of his troops at the same time.

"Generals. Prepare your troops and ready your subordinates. We march in three hours."

* * *

 **A/N: There won't be an update on Sunday, 'cause it's my birthday and I won't have time too finish and post a chapter. I'm also putting The Proctor of Judgment up for grabs, if anyone wants to continue it.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm going to start trying to update once a week when possible. I also have a new choice for a story on my poll, so please check it out.**

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Chapter 10-

" _Generals. Prepare your troops and ready your subordinates. We march in three hours."_

It was Persephone who first noticed something was off: Demeter was missing. She smiled -her husband was finally freeing her from Olympus.

No secret like that could last very long, though.

"Where is Demeter?" Zeus rumbled, sitting on his throne with the rest of the Olympians -barring Artemis and Poseidon- gathered in the Council Room, "She should be here."

Another few minutes passed before the King of the Gods realized something was a bit off, "Apollo, you look for Demeter in the mortal world. Hermes, you will search for her in her palace."

The two gods nodded, Hermes racing off while Apollo just closed his eyes. He could see anything and everything in the mortal world at any time, if he was so inclined -usually, he wasn't.

"She isn't in the mortal world." Apollo said, looking shocked as Hermes returned as well, shaking his head.

"Umm, Pops?" the God of the Sun asked, "There's an army coming out of the Door of Orpheus."

Athena's eyes widened as she pieced it all together, "Hades is attacking us!"

Ares chuckled, drawing his massive broadsword, "Fun."

Zeus looked to Athena for advice- this was her area of expertise, after all.

"We have to contain the troops." Athena said, "If we can bottle them up at the Door, we can hold them there."

The King of the Gods nodded, "Ares: Gather every minor god that can fight and lead them against Hades' troops. Hermes: Run a message to Camp Jupiter and get them ready. Dionysus, gather our forces in Camp Half-Blood. Apollo, get your sister. Poseidon . . . Hephaestus, get your Cyclops friend -the General of Olympus. Aphrodite, send Morpheus and Hypnos up here."

The Olympians nodded, flashing away.

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A blinding flash of light heralded the arrival of Dionysus in Camp Half-Blood.

"Gather around, brats!" Dionysus shouted, his voice rippling through the camp, "Hades is attacking Olympus, and you have to fight him. I hope most of you die horribly."

Clarisse's eyes widened, and in seconds the armor was on her and her fellow Ares campers -courtesy of their powers- while the Athena cabin rushed to put on their own. The rest of the camp followed suit.

"Ares, to me! We ride into battle!" the daughter of Ares ordered, heading for the stables and saddling horses.

The rest of the camp formed a giant phalanx behind them, Jason and Piper standing at the head with swords drawn.

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Frank and Reyna were discussing the last night's Deathball match when Mercury ran in, "Get your guys, Pluto's attacking Olympus and it'll get really ugly, really fast."

By the time he came to a stop, the two Praetors were already out of the room -now wasn't the time for bowing and paying respects.

"I'll get the veterans from New Rome. You get the Legion ready." Reyna ordered

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A small crowd gathered to gawk at the skeletons in ranks outside of a pile of boulders.

"Mommy? They're scary! Make them go away!" a young boy pleaded.

A few feet away, a young woman snapped pictures on her Iphone, "I haven't seen a flash mob like this since Reno!"

Up in Olympus, Zeus looked at the Titan and god Aphrodite had summoned, "Morpheus, Hypnos, put the entire city to sleep."

"Are you sure, milord?" Hypnos asked carefully.

The King's face was hard, "It worked before. It will work again."

"You take the east, I will take the west." Morpheus ordered, then they both closed their eyes and sat down heavily.

Outside, the crowd decided that now was a _really_ good time to take a nap.

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"Apollo?" Artemis growled, "What are you doing here?"

Apollo smiled, "Long time no see, sis. Hades is making trouble and Pops wants you and your girls to be there."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Big trouble."

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As it turns out, Apollo was partially wrong. Big trouble was in Little China, in the form of Ares at the head of a hundred minor gods with Phobos and Deimos moving on streets parallel, leading another fifty gods apiece.

Their pace was a steady jog, steel-knobbed boots scraping against pavement until their target came into view. Central Park opened up in front of him, full to the brim with skeletons. He smiled.

This will be fun.

As Ares slammed into the horde head-on, Phobos and Deimos flanked the huge army.

The problem was, every one of the vanguard had a long spear, and altogether they looked like a giant porcupine, bristling with spikes. Ares had the skill to knock the spears aside, but other gods weren't so lucky and were impaled on the lines of spears.

Ares growled, assuming his true form for a few seconds -only the skeletons had no eyes to gaze upon the divine form of an Olympian.

"Damn." the God of War swept his broadsword back and forth with impunity, shredding the line of skeletons. It was a perfectly timed and executed pincer movement, successfully trapping and cutting apart a good number of skeletons -but not nearly enough.

Far behind the lines of skeletons, Rommel smiled. He now had some two to three hundred men behind the line of the minor gods. Infiltration was much easier when the dead didn't stay dead for long.

The minor gods, led by Ares, formed a line between the Door of Orpheus and the Empire State Building, fighting furiously against a suddenly much stiffer opposition. Unnoticed by the gods, previously cut-apart skeleton re-knit themselves, getting to their feet with weapons in hand.

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Clarisse was at the head of an arrow of chariots, narrowing her eyes as she saw Central Park. Chiron was right when he said Centaurs had ways to span distances more effectively.

She barreled into the Park just in time to see skeletons attack a line of minor gods from the rear, hacking the line apart like hot knives through butter.

"Retreat!" bellowed her father, who was doing his best to cut his way from the crowd. But there were just too many opponents.

The daughter of Ares narrowed her eyes, "Ares! Break through to our father!"

The arrowhead narrowed to a point, piercing through the horde of skeletons. Horses trampled skeletons, grinding them under the wheels of the chariot while the demigods in the back stabbed away with spears and swords.

Rommel frowned. His trap, so hastily planned, fell apart. That was to be expected -he didn't have the time he liked to come up with a good one- but it was a success even still. The son of Hades lowered his binoculars, willing his troops into a defensive block.

"How goes your battle, son?" Hades asked, peering the distance.

"I have won, though they have forced my troops into a standstill. I will send a force around-"

"No." ordered the Lord of the Dead, "This skirmish has ended, and Zeus will wish to parley. Wait until Ares has left before attacking again."

Rommel frowned, "You wish for me to break the parley?"

"Exactly." Hades smiled as he saw lighting crackle across the sky, "Right on time."

The son of Hades checked his watch, "Seven minutes and forty-two seconds. Rather slow for this age."

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Hades was never called "cheerful." The words "bright" or "happy" never really applied to him either. But if he could be happy, he wouldn't be happier than the time he stalked into the Council Room.

"What do you want, brother?" Zeus growled, the bolt lying on his lap.

"To be simple, _younger_ brother, I want your throne. I bled for you in the last Titan War, and again in the Giant War. Despite all of your promises, what did I get? A cabin in Camp Half-Blood, that you didn't lift a finger to build? My son Nico, still an outcast. Even Apollo's whelp, Will Solace, is becoming an outcast, simply because he is close to my son. And my love is still trapped up here, simply because you needed to appease Demeter."

He smiled as Ares flashed in, along with Artemis and Apollo, "Where's Poseidon? Still bleeding from our little tussle?"

The God of the Underworld was tempted to take out the trident, but quelled the urge. A weapon that powerful must be kept hidden for the perfect moment.

"If you disband your army, I will see to it that you get appreciation for past actions." Zeus vowed, desperately needing a way to come out of this in one piece.

Hades snorted, "More empty promises. I want no part of you all."

He flashed away just as a messenger ran into the room, "Lords and Ladys! Hades' army is attacking! Ares' forces are retreating in this direction."

Athena focused her gray eyes on Zeus, "We must evacuate Olympus. We've lost this battle -let's try not to lose the war."

Zeus frowned -he didn't like giving up his home, "Approved. Ares, get down there and organize your troops. You must hold them."

Ares disappeared while Zeus turned to Artemis, "Where are the Hunters?"

"The rookies and Perseus are in Virginia, but everyone we need are scattered across the globe." Artemis replied, "It will take at least a few days to gather them all."

Zeus' eyes widened at her fourth word, "You are harboring an Enemy of Olympus?!"

The goddess frowned, " _You_ made him the Servant of the Hunt, and he is performing that task respectfully."

"He will not be fighting, is that clear? We cannot trust an Enemy of Olympus on our battlefield." ordered the God of the Sky.

Artemis scowled, "Fine."

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Percy had packed up his tent as ordered, sitting and waiting as the rest of the Hunt bustled about, breaking camp. Wolves and falcons were put back in the kennel, prepared for transport. It only took a few minutes before they were all assembled, waiting for Artemis' return -she hadn't given them any orders besides "break camp," but hopefully he would be getting more soon.

Artemis flashed into the center of camp, "Hunters! Hades has revolted against Zeus, and Olympus is being evacuated as we speak. The minor gods, under Ares, are holding his army at bay with heavy losses, and we're running distraction to try and draw some of the fighting off. The demigods of Camp Half-Blood are about thirty minutes away and marching. Ready?"

The Hunters were silent, clearly recognizing this wasn't a time for cheers.

"Hold hands."

Thalia, at the end of the Hunt, grabbed Percy's left and Celyn's right, then a flash of light and they were in New York City.

"Lieutenant! Make a line and hold it!" Artemis ordered, unslinging her bow from on top of a building. As Percy watched, both bow and arrow turned gold -this was Artemis' symbol of power, it seemed.

She took a deep breath, then unleashed hell on earth. Arrows rained down on the skeletons, some exploding on impact, others rupturing the ground. Arrows morphed into bears, hunting dogs, and boars, who promptly started tearing apart the army. Arrows even grew into nets, slamming into groups of enemies and pinning them to the concrete.

Dust billowed from destroyed street, hiding the devastation from the Hunters -then Hades' army launched a counter-attack. Flights of arrows arced over the dust, but a now-healed Pheobe burned them out of the air.

"Volley!" Thalia ordered, just as the first ranks of undead warriors came out. Silver arrows shattered skulls and spines, most with pinpoint accuracy -the range was only a few meters. The first rank fell apart, bones becoming unknit and clattering to the ground after supposedly vital parts of their bodies were destroyed.

Pheobe bared her teeth, sheathing her knives and making circular motions with her hands, passing one over the other.. An inferno blossomed in the middle of the horde, sending the army into chaos.

Nico growled, willing the troops under his command to charge the small force. Will squinted, spotting Artemis on top of a three-story building, "We need to take her out."

The son of Hades nodded, "Do it. I'll keep her attention on the skellies."

Will nodded, stepping out from the dugout of black rock Nico had summoned.

Artemis slumped, barely conscious as her arrow barrage came to a screeching halt. The familiars she summoned winked out of existence, her powers no longer sustaining them. Her golden bow turned silver once more.

The son of Apollo raised his bow.

Pheobe snarled as she saw a threat to her Lady.

Will's bow whipped, an arrow speeding off.

Pheobe breathed out, an arrow whizzing out of her own bow -and hit the shaft of Will's, shattering it. Their eyes met, a reasonably competent bowman recognizing a true master of the bow. The daughter of Hephaestus raised her bow again, sending Will scurrying back to the dugout.

"Is she gone?"

Will shook his head, "Nah. Those Hunters are too good, bro."

"Good thing you're alright. I'm not getting anywhere with this."

Back on the front lines, Percy drew Riptide and joined the battle -though he could barely hold his own.

The dust finally cleared, showing the street -or what was left of it. Huge chunks where blown out, and some of the concrete looked like it was peeled back for ten feet or more. Shattered bones were scattered everywhere, entire skeletons pulverized by Artemis' arrow barrage.

It was when Percy saw the bodies of mortals when he realized something: This wasn't like the Titan or Giant War. This was brutal, and deadly to anyone who got in it's way.

Jason was jogging at the head of the Greek's phalanx, Piper next to him. Lighting crackled down his blade as he saw the group of Hunters holding back a massive army of skeletons. Artemis was nowhere in sight, and without her the Hunt was being pushed back step by step.

"Make way! Friendlies!" Jason called, using every bit of Praetor he had left. The Hunt neatly broke into two, peeling back against the building as the rows and rows of long spears shattered Nico's lines. In a move practiced time and time again at camp, the first and second ranks of the phalanx stepped away, drawing swords as the third and fourth slammed into the broken line of enemies. Then the process repeated until the Greeks had a battle line of sword and shorter spear wielding fighters. The Apollo cabin took up bows, but made sure to stay away from the Hunters as they opened fire as well.

Meanwhile, Percy took a spot at the edge of the Greek's battle line. No one even noticed him.

With the weight of reinforcements, the combined Camp Half-Blood and Hunter force tore into the army of Hades, bones flying left, right and center until Athena flashed in, taking charge of the situation, "Athena and Ares cabin, rally to me! Everyone else, retreat!"

The two best cabins of fighters formed up around the Goddess of War while the rest of the group backpedaled. Far above, Artemis smiled tiredly and got up, following her Hunt from the rooftops.

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Three days later, a war council was being held.

"I am telling you, father, again and again. We do _not_ have the strength here to defeat Hades' army." Athena snapped, finally tired of Zeus perpetually wanting to start a march to take back his throne, "The Hunt and both Camps may be here, but Poseidon's troops are still gathering, along with your own. Once they arrive, we _might_ be able to make progress against this horde."

The Goddess angrily gestured to a map of Pennsylvania, showing the locations of Hades' armies. There were six of them, each about a thousand strong. On the other side were tokens for the forces of Olympus: Two hundred thirty-six Campers along with a about a hundred assorted Satyrs and nature spirits. Four hundred twenty-three Romans, and two-hundred eleven Hunters, and about thirty minor gods still able to fight. They barely equaled _one_ of Hades' armies, and were running for all they were worth.

Artemis was studying the map intently, looking at the black pitchfork of Hades, "I could send a small group of Hunters around here and assassinate Hades."

Athena looked at Artemis incredulously, "In the center of one thousand enemy combatants? And that's if were lucky. It's entirely likely Hades is in his palace, which would reduce your chances to zero."

"Let one of my Hunters sacrifice the Ophiotaurus." Artemis said, ignoring the goddess, "Then when we see Hades-"

"No." Zeus ordered, "We will _not_ give a demigod the power to kill a god. We will wait for the might of the oceans and the sky to gather and crush Hades' armies once we are at full strength."

"So we can kill an enemy that won't stay dead?" Athena frowned, "I recognized the eagle. That's Erwin Rommel, a son of Hades and one of the greatest commanders of World War Two -I believe Hades has brought back equally skilled commanders from across time."

"Can you beat him?"

"Not easily." Athena looked at the King of the Gods, "I know his tactics, and they are extremely difficult to counter. He excels at breaching our defenses, either by infiltration or a piercing attack, then wrapping around and tearing a battle line in half. As Ares saw, we can cut down his troops, but they'll just climb up to their feet again behind us. Artemis' plan does have merit in this situation."

Zeus frowned mightily, "No one will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. It is on Mount Olympus and it will stay there, where Hades cannot get it. This council is dismissed. Artemis, I would speak with you."

The Olympians -or most of them- stood from their makeshift thrones, "I saw the Enemy of Olympus fighting, and I will not allow it. The next time that happens, I will execute him. Is that clear?"

Artemis left without saying a word and almost slammed into Athena, who was standing outside of the entrance.

"Artemis." she said softly, just loud enough for the two of them to hear, "It's likely that Demeter has been captured or killed."

The goddess of the Hunt nodded -she had assumed that the first day of the war, "I doubt anyone doesn't know that, Athena."

"I can think of one. Don't let _him_ know -he's hovering on the brink of complete breakdown as it is."

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Artemis concentrated, reaching halfway across the world to flash the last six Hunters: Mairi, Maiya -the twin daughters of Neptune- Akako -a legacy of Hermes- Josë -another fire user, like Pheobe, Leo, and two others in the Hunt- Jia -a cloud nymph- and Hua -a mortal.

"Pitch your tents in block Four-A." Artemis ordered, "I have a feeling Zeus is going to need us soon.

The six Hunters nodded, walking towards the middle of the camp. In wartime, Artemis arranged the Hunt's tent into a grid, then the Hunters built whatever earthworks they needed around it. The tables were set a few tents inward from the four corners. All in all, it looked at bit like the Legion's temporary base -only without as extensive earthworks or as many solid structures. The Hunt preferred mobility over strong defenses.

Meanwhile, life had gotten a bit more tough for Percy Jackson, with four times the number of people to do chores for. Luckily, the majority of the Hunt accepted him as one of the few "respectful" males -a rare compliment.

Still, this required a new way of doing the wash -and the best Percy could come up with was using every single washboard the Hunt had, soaking them in water and running the wet clothes on them. The problem? It was _exhausting_.

"Percy?" Artemis chanced upon him just outside of the Hunt's borders, tiredly rubbing a silver t-shirt on a washboard, "You look tired."

The son of Poseidon looked up, into Artemis' eyes -something that Lyra had spent the best part of a week teaching him to do. They had dark rings, and his face was pale as a ghost.

"I am fine, Lady Artemis." Percy slurred out.

"No, you aren't." Artemis scowled at herself; she shouldn't have allowed this to happen. "Leave all this here, go back to your tent and sleep."

"I can still work, Lady Artemis."

The silver goddess almost recoiled, shocked. This was the first real sign of defiance the demigod had shown -he had clearly gotten more comfortable with her. It couldn't be good.

"You can't." she said, getting over her shock, "Either get in bed or I'll knock you out."

Percy stood, and the washboards stopped moving. Then he staggered as a leg gave out, tripping over himself and ending up face-first in the grass, out cold.

Artemis sighed, picking him up with godly strength and walking to Percy's tent. It was, coincidentally, between Artemis' and Thalia's.

He hadn't really personalized it -just having the basic furniture the tent came with. The Goddess of the Hunt, the man-hating goddess, set him gently on the bed that dominated the center. He started snoring the minute his head hit the pillow, reminding Artemis of how little sleep she had in the last week. As the silver goddess left, she saw a little drool leak from the corner of Percy's mouth.

Perhaps now would be a good time to take a nap.

-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-

The silver goddess sat upward in bed, looking around her tent. This was a dream -the absence of Amber, her wolf, was proof enough of that. Then she focused on the person sitting crosslegged on the floor. The _male_ sitting crosslegged on the floor.

"Why can't I get rid of you?" Artemis growled at the son of Poseidon from her position on the bed

"If I displease you, milady, I will leave." Percy replied, getting up to do just that.

The goddess groaned, "Why bother? It's a dream. And I _still_ can't get away from you. I think about you, talk about you. I even _dream_ about you. What did you do to me, male?"

Percy sat down looking genuinely confused, "If I made an error, Lady Artemis, I will endeavor to solve it."

"It's nothing you've done, Perseus." Artemis sighed, "Even in my dreams, you act like that. Perfect for a group of girls who know their gender is better than yours. Perfect for someone who wants to fade into the background and be ignored. I would've thought you were planning something, but now I know why you try not to be noticed. And I wish I didn't."

She swung her feet off the bed, sitting upright, then patted the bed beside her, "Sit next to me."

The son of Poseidon hesitated -sit next to a goddess? She was far more worthy than anything he could offer her.

"I'm ordering you as your master to sit next to me." said the goddess, the command in her voice perfected from millenia of leading the Hunt. Then her voice softened slightly, "It's a dream. What's the worst that could happen?"

"The worst that could-" Percy started, getting to his feet.

"Be quiet, that wasn't an order." Artemis sighed, "Why am I so obsessed with you, Perseus Jackson?"

"Because I am an Enemy of Olympus, and it is your job to control me, milady." Percy, as ever the dutiful servant, suggested.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

The demigod shook his head, "No, milady, but I will-"

"No, I'm ordering you not to." The silver goddess stood and stretched, walking to the flap of the tent, "Get whatever weapons you want and come with me. I need some fresh air."

"Of course, milady." Percy had all the weapons he needed on him -Riptide was in the pocket of his black tunic, and Annabeth's dagger was sheathed on the wide belt that held it together.

Together, they walked outside to the training arena while Artemis made the air warm enough to fight in -this was a dream, after all, though neither dreamer knew that the other was real.

Riptide sprung up in Percy's right hand, Annabeth's dagger in his left. Artemis went weaponless, both of her knives on her belt.

"Begin." Artemis ordered, but Percy stayed back. He had the advantage in both reach and ability to do damage, and he wasn't about to lose it by charging and letting the slight goddess get inside his guard.

They circled each other, eyes locked -and Percy stumbled on his own feet. Artemis darted forward, slamming an open palm into Percy's right wrist and kneeing him in the stomach. Riptide clattered out of his hand, but he only growled. His left hand brought the dagger around in a slice that would've made Lyra wince -it was that badly-timed and poorly positioned. This wasn't his A-game, as they say, and Artemis missed none of it.

She danced backwards, "Pick up Riptide and fight me like you mean it. I don't care if you break any of my rules."

Percy bent and picked up his sword again, "As you wish, my lady."

This time, he charged and brought Riptide in a brutal chop that Artemis ducked around, slamming a cross into the demigod's well muscled stomach.

The goddess shook her hand as she backed up -how could she know he was _that_ well built? It was like hitting a brick wall -something that she had, in fact, done before.

Artemis narrowed her eyes, tracking Percy's stance. It seemed oddly familiar, but she chalked it down to common Camp Half-Blood training and darted inward. Again an open palm slammed into Percy's right wrist, forcing it to open while her other arm grabbed Percy's left arm and yanked downward.

To her surprise -and latter regret- he went with the jerk as his right hand closed around Artemis' left arm, pulling her towards him. Percy's forehead slammed into Artemis' nose in a brutal headbutt, practically shattering it. Blood flew everywhere as Artemis got mad, her fists going to town on Percy's body. He shuddered and went down as his solar plexus broke, but Artemis grabbed him and kept him upright just long enough for a hard knee to the balls, then fell on top of him.

The silver goddess reeled up, raising a now-bloody fist and breaking Percy's jaw with it, then his nose.

She smirked at another arrogant male humbled before realizing what she did, "Perseus? You okay?"

He made a pathetic whimpering sound.

"Don't be such a whiny male. This a dream." Artemis frowned at the mess she made and the pain Percy was probably in, then drew a dagger and plunged it down at his heart -you were supposed to wake up just before you die, right?

-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-

Percy jerked upward in bed, his hands frantically checking his entire body as his mind went into adrenaline-junkie mode. Thankfully, it was just a dream, and Artemis wasn't actually about to stab him.

The demigod sat back, enjoying the last few seconds of the adrenaline high. It wouldn't last, but while it lasted it was . . . beautiful. Then he remembered last night, and his brow furrowed. Why would a man-hating goddess carry him to his tent?

Then Artemis burst in, ruining the moment, "Get up. You still have to finish the laundry."

Percy didn't say anything, but leaped to his feet nonetheless and ran out the door. He glanced at the sky -it was about five o' clock, and the Hunt's shift changed at seven. Which meant he needed to clean the dining tables by six thirty. So he had a hour and a quarter to finish the laundry. Plenty of time.

It was just as he left it -neatly washed, dried, and folded laundry lying on a clean tarp, while those that he had left to do were in a more untidy pile. Artemis had been kind enough to provide a list of which Hunters had which pieces of clothing.

As the son of Poseidon grabbed a washboard and wet silver jacket, the rest of them did the same -seventeen washboards, in all. It could be worse.

Percy concentrated on the task before him, roughly running the jacket up and down the metal washboard. Dirt turned the water black before Percy saw a small tear in the side. Reaching into his pocket again, he took out a list and started writing: _Baccina Machiavelli,_ _silver jacket, tear in the left side._

Baccina was one of the older Hunters, working in Italy -she was born in Florence- when Artemis called her back here.

The list was about sixty names long, for clothes damaged either from battle or just getting snagged on a bush. He would give it to Artemis at the end of the week, then she would give it to whoever she got clothes from.

With laundry done, Percy looked at the sky. About six o' clock, now. Plenty of time to wash the tables before going to the Armory.

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Artemis frowned at the little figures on the map. They were plastic, crude, and practically useless despite all of Hecate's work. They moved around the map of Ohio, mirroring the movements of who they represented, and that was it. An black eagle holding a swastika for Rommel, and some military award for Hermman Balck -Athena called it a Knight's Cross, but Artemis supposed it looked more like big leaf with diamonds embedded in it. How that looked like a cross, she had no idea.

Nico's army had a skull token, while each of the Furies simply had their names: Alecto, Magaera, and Tisiphone.

Meanwhile, a silver bow represented the Hunt, just as an golden eagle -without the swastika- was the Romans -Mars had flashed them here, though it nearly killed him in the process- a orange pegasus for Camp Half-Blood, and a red boar had the earmark of Ares' gods. Closer to the western part of Ohio was another token, for the denizens of Olympus who couldn't fight -they were booking it to New Rome.

Zeus was also frowning the map, "How soon will Poseidon's troops arrive?"

Triton, his two fishtails gone and two human legs in their place, scowled, "The "General" and his troops will be here in a few days. In case you haven't noticed, we're not exactly next to the ocean. Camp -" Triton made a series of sonar pings, "is joining them in Pennsylvania."

The King of the Gods frowned at the acting God of the Oceans, "Then get them to march faster."

"And your own familiars, Lord Zeus?" Triton smirked, "I don't see them here."

Zeus rubbed his temples, "The harpies are gathering with due speed, _Triton_. Have you ever tried to marshal the _Anemoi Thuellai_? Command the wind?"

"I've destroyed their kind in the past."

"They're never going to stop with this, are they?" Artemis asked, leaning into Athena.

"No." Athena's piercing gray eyes were focused on a map of the entire United States, pointing at a plastic figurine of a Centaur, "At this rate, Chiron will gather the "Party Ponies" and get back here before they stop talking."

On the coastline were two more figurines -a club, for Tyson's Cyclopses, and an icthyocentaur -which Artemis _still_ had no idea how to pronounce- representing the place known as "Camp Fish-Blood" by the demigods.

Eventually, it was Athena who got fed up after trying to suggest something for close to half an hour -to no avail, "Shut up. Both of you."

Her voice cut right through their conversation, and they both saw the roiling storms in her hard, gray eyes. They both shrunk back in intimidated respect.

"If you two boys are done arguing," her voice snapped like a whip, "we can do something useful. Like fighting this war, perhaps."

Seeing she had everyone's attention, she pointed at the map, "The Centaurs will be here in two days, the Cyclopses and Camp Fish-Blood in four, and Zeus' men in five -if we're lucky. But, by this rate of marching, Nico's armies will catch up to us in a day, with Rommel's and Alecto's half a day behind them. Nico will attack us head-on, while the rest of Hades' forces will encircle us, then tighten the noose until the troops we have here are completely annihilated. So I would really appreciate it if you both shut up and let me find us a way out of this mess.

The Olympian and acting Olympian, surprisingly, were silent and stock-still, as if they had been giving a stern talking-to by a strict teacher.

Half an hour later, Athena sighed, "We need to attack."

Artemis jerked from her half-sleep, "Who? Rommel?"

"Rommel's a trap -he's way too far from the other armies." Athena pointed at the skull, "Nico's the most inexperienced commander, and the most eager to prove himself. Artemis, how much power do you have?"

The goddess sighed, "Not enough to pull the stunt I did in New York, if that's what you're asking."

Athena nodded, turning her gaze to the King of the Gods, "I'd appreciate it if you could give me the authority to order other Olympians."

"Fine. It's yours." Zeus agreed, mainly because he knew just how screwed they'd be if he needed to deliver her orders in the middle of a battle.

Athena nodded, an acknowledgement of Zeus' trust in her, then turned a faucet and tossed a handful of drachmas into a rainbow.

"Ares, five miles away from you due east is a thick forest. Get there. Clarisse, meet up with him. Reyna, Frank, you see the gap between these two forests? Fortify there, as much as you can." Athena turned to Artemis, "Send half of your Hunters to the Romans and half to Clarisse and her demigods."

Artemis frowned as she studied that map, "Even Nico won't fall for this."

Athena smiled, and it was not a pretty sight, "So he'll have to loop around here to attack us from behind, which will take-"

"A day to get to the gap and another to go around." Artemis smiled too.

"Then the Centaurs and our own forces here will crush him."

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The next day, Nico's army arrived.

"There's the gap in the forest." Nico pointed at the thick screen of trees in the distance, "We can pass there."

Will Solace raised binoculars to his eyes, "The Romans beat us here, and I don't like how close the trees are on either side."

"It's a trap?" Nico asked, looking down at the map he held.

"Probably."

"Well, we won't be fooled that easily." The son of Hades closed his eyes, concentrating, and his forces turned right abruptly. "We'll go around the forest entirely, then trap them between us and Alecto's and Rommel's armies."

The son of Apollo scowled, "I don't get it. Why are they turning to fight now, after running for days straight?"

"Because they think we'll be trapped here. I'm guessing the trees are full of demigods and whoever else is loyal to Olympus."

"Has Hades been able to get up there yet?"

Nico shook his head, "No. He said Olympus went into total lockdown. No one can get in or out."

* * *

 **A/N: There's one group that you'd expect to have been mentioned here, and they haven't been. Why? It's a surprise in next chapter. If you can figure out who, please review.**

 **Anyways, The Son of Leto is in first place in the poll, then The Hunt's Brother, then The Court, then The Broken, and the rest of them either have one or no votes.**

 **If you haven't yet, take the poll on my profile. If you have, please review -I count reviews telling me to write whatever story next as votes as well, so you could have two votes.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I was, of course, thinking about the Amazons. To the person who said monsters, you're right too. And you're more observant than I am.**

* * *

Chapter 11-

Reyna scowled as she looked through her own set of binoculars at the army of skeletons.

"We're outnumbered." Frank commented.

"We usually are."

"Looks like our situation's . . . what's that word? Like hopeless, but less hopeless?"

"Untenable?" suggested the more experienced Praetor.

Frank nodded, "That'll do. Looks like our situation's untenable."

"It usually is." replied Reyna, cool as a cucumber.

"So, think we're going to make it out of here?" Frank asked.

"Would you please shut up? I'm trying to work here, and I don't need you raising the suspense." Reyna suggested, but Frank knew an order when he heard one.

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Chiron frowned as he beheld the sight in front of him. The entire population of California Party Ponies -some three or four hundred Centaurs- were passed out in a park, clearly in no shape to go anywhere.

He took out a drachma and trotted over to a handy misty fountain in the middle of the park, "Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me King Zeus, in Ohio."

Zeus' perpetually frowning face filled the rainbow screen, "Chiron?"

"My apologies, Lord Zeus, but I have been delayed by circumstances outside of my control."

"How long?"

The old Centaur did some quick calculations. By the time they woke, they would still be in no shape to run anywhere, "Up to a day, milord, possibly more."

Zeus cut the connection.

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"So the Centaurs aren't coming when we need them to." Artemis said to Athena.

"Yes."

"And that Nico's forces are too far around the forest for the Romans to retreat without getting cut to ribbons."

"Yes."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Half of one."

"How can you have half a plan? Did you leave the other half on the ground somewhere?"

"Can you just shut up and let me think?" Athena snapped.

"Now isn't the time for thinking. We need to do something, and do it now."

"And what do you suggest? As soon as the Romans leave their positions, they'll be trapped by Alecto and Rommel coming from the east, and Nico from the west."

"We can slow down Nico long enough for Reyna to retreat." Artemis said, steel in her voice, "I'm getting my Hunt and doing _something_ useful."

Artemis flashed away, into the temporary camp her Hunters set up in the forest. It wasn't a proper wartime camp without the trench or grid-like tent setup, but they didn't plan to spend very long here.

She pulled Thalia aside, "Get everyone and meet me at the west edge of the forest."

Her Lieutenant nodded as Artemis flashed away again, inside of a tent she made sure was always set up -just for this purpose.

One by one, the falcon cages opened and the hunting birds flew out -each carrying a message from Lady Artemis to one of her Hunters.

Inside the Roman's fortifications, the nearest Hunter -Baccina Machiavelli- stopped the Romans from firing at her falcon. It dived, landing on her finger. They looked into each other's eyes before Baccina nodded, breaking her place in the line and skillfully weaving through the various defenses the Romans had set up -she had her orders.

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The Hunters ghosted through the forest, running towards an approaching army.

Artemis held up a fist - _Halt-_ then her index and middle finger went up - _Explosive Arrows._ The fist clenched again, then opened into a four - _Four Volleys._ Her right hand formed a fist again, then a five - _Five seconds._

Over two hundred Hunters counted down in their head, waiting until the last second before drawing back their arrows firing. Another two seconds, then a seconds volley arced out of the Hunt's bows, racing through the thin screen of trees at the advancing ranks of Hades' forces.

Ten seconds. Five volleys. Two-hundred eleven Hunters. One-thousand fifty-five arrows. All in all, it was only about thirty pounds worth of Greek Fire. That and devastating accuracy were on the Hunt's side as they let the arrows fly -but at this range, even the accuracy of Hunters just wasn't good enough.

Artemis blinked as a series of green explosions threw up flashes of light -a lucky few arrows doing actual damage. Others flew straight through the empty ribcages of reanimated bones, exploding harmlessly against the ground. Some blew an arm out of it's socket, but in the end the skeleton just picked it up and refastened it. The only ones that did real damage were lodged in the skull of a skeleton, blowing it apart from the inside. Those that didn't penetrate the skull left black scorch marks on whichever skeleton they landed on, doing no real damage.

The goddess scowled, her mind racing. Sonic arrows wouldn't do much more that that, and the infamous fart arrows would do absolutely nothing -but Artemis wasn't out of tricks yet.

She scanned the army, looking for the banner with the skull -Nico's banner.

Artemis' bow morphed, becoming longer and longer until it was much, much taller than she was. The next arrow she drew was almost a yard long, typical of the longbows of the Dark Ages. For this shot, she needed to be more than a little lucky. The bow went up, up until it was pointing nearly straight into the sky.

Pheobe frowned. Even for Artemis, this shot might've been impossible. But the goddess drew the long arrow back, bending the bow. She breathed out slowly, making the last, tiny adjustments. Then she released.

The arrow flew, flew into the sky before gravity took hold again, then started going almost straight downward.

Nico jumped backwards as he caught a flash of silver in the corner of his eye, a sliver arrow burying itself in Will Solace's shoulder -who promptly fell to one knee, groaning.

"Will!" Nico dropped right next to him, raising a Stygian Iron shield over both of them, "You okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay?" Will groaned, "I have an freaking _arrow_ sticking out of me."

Nico's eyes glowed as the ranks of skeletons around them stopped, raising their shields over the two demigods, "Can I just pull it out?"

"It's barbed!"

"What do I do, Solace? You're the doctor!"

The son of Apollo reached into a bag he was carrying, and brought out a bottle of nectar. He gulped some of it down, "You have a clean knife?"

"Yeah." Nico unsheathed a small, Stygian Iron penknife.

"There's rubbing alcohol and swabs in my bag. Clean the blade." Will ordered, keeping his arm completely still.

Nico nodded, following Will's instructions, "Then what?"

"Find the barb." Will said, his voice strained. "Should be right on the broadhead."

The son of Hades steeled himself for this, and he had a lot of experience at forcing himself to be calm.

Will groaned as he spread the wound a little more, finding the broadhead deep in Will's shoulder.

"Now stick your knife in and make sure the barb doesn't catch on anything." Will said the last words in a rush, as if he really didn't want to do this.

Nico's hand were shaking slightly as he reached his alcohol-covered knife into the arrow wound.

Will screamed as the alcohol touched his open wound, causing son of Hades to quickly yank the knife back.

"Do it, Nico."

Both demigods clenched their teeth, Nico again reaching the blade inside the wound.

Will groaned.

"You okay?" Nico asked, truly frightened for the first time in his life. He didn't fear death, nor his own pain. But Will's pain was almost too much for him.

"Stings like a _bitch_." Will growled through clenched teeth, "Keep going."

The demigod found the two barbs, using the knife to shield them from catching on anything. Then it was free.

"Now -damn, that _hurts_ \- pour nectar on it."

Nico grabbed Will's abandoned nectar bottle and poured it all over Will's shoulder. "Not that much!"

"Sorry."

Groaning, Will stood, "I used to be an-"

"Please don't." Nico asked.

"-archer, then I took an arrow to the arm." Will grinned as Nico groaned.

"But it hit you in the shoulder!" Nico protested.

"Shoulder has two syllables, though. I couldn't do that." the son of Apollo knelt next to his bag, putting gauze on the arrow wound and wrapping it.

The son of Hades facepalmed. "Sorry."

"It was my choice to come with you." Will said, "I don't care what I have to go through, if I can stay next to you."

"Together." Nico said, still angry at himself.

"Together." Will pulled the son of Hades into a one-armed hug, "You are mine and I am yours."

Nico nodded into the hug, "I hope you aren't going to start writing poetry about me."

"Please?" asked Will, "With a cherry on top?"

"How about a pomegranate?"

Artemis narrowed her eyes. Her arrow hitting Nico somewhere vital would be the best case situation, but that was nearly impossible. Hitting him in the leg would probably slow the entire army down, and hitting him in the arm would hamper his ability to fight effectively.

"I've never had a pomegranate before." Will commented as they both got to their feet again.

"You need too. I've got some from Persephone's garden." suggested the son of Hades.

"I hope you aren't going to pull a Hades on me and keep me in the Underworld for eternity."

Nico shrugged, "It worked with Persephone. Can you still shoot?"

Will flexed his arm, and winced painfully, "In a while, maybe."

"Okay." Nico's eyes glowed again as he sent new orders to the troops his father had raised. They boxed up into a defensive formation, walls and roofs of shields forming a metal fortress.

Artemis frowned. This formation was practically impervious to arrows, given the fact that the troops that occupied the formation wouldn't let themselves break out of the defensive shield wall. In other words, the Hunt couldn't do jack about this.

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"Praetor!" a retired legionnaire reported, "Enemies spotted at the rear!"

Reyna swore bitterly. They were trapped here -Romans didn't fight well in forests, and the only two ways out were through the gap that they were in the center of, "Tell the artillery crew to open fire in volleys."

The retired legion messenger nodded, sprinting off. The Legion hadn't yet truly adopted Iris-Messages. To Reyna, it was a system with many dangerous drawbacks. The legion messengers were tried and true.

She raised her binoculars, looking at the army. It was in a very defensive formation, almost looking like the tortoise formation Romans were so famous for. Her gaze swept over the forests on either side, trained military eyes catching hints of silver and orange.

"Alecto and Rommel are advancing, Praetor!" another messenger called out.

Reyna spun, watching the hordes of skeletons. As soon as they got word that the Centaurs would be late, Reyna ordered most of the Legion to put as many defenses facing that direction as possible. As always, the Romans would have to take the brunt of the fighting. As it was, Reyna had the First, Second, and Third Cohorts facing Nico, while the Fourth and Fifth had the majority of the defenses to face Alecto and Rommel. They would have to crush Nico's army quickly and run with their tails between their legs.

"Frank, I hope you realise some of us aren't going to make it out of this one."

Frank nodded, "I know. Everyone knows, and none of them blame you for it."

"I led them here, Frank. If they die, it's my fault."

This time, Frank shook his head, "They chose to follow you. Every single one went out of New Rome knowing they could die."

"That's different then knowing that some of them will." Reyna scowled as she watched the artillery bombard Nico's defensive formation.

The skeletons closed in from both sides. Three thousand of them. Four-hundred thirty-three Romans. A few hundred assorted Greeks, Hunters, and minor gods hiding in the woods. The Romans were outnumbered six-to-one, but it would be reduced to three-to-one once everyone else joined the fighting.

"Why are they in arrowheads?" Frank asked, referring to the Romans facing Nico.

"For the counter-attack." Reyna replied, not caring to elaborate. Frank nodded slowly, seeing it in his mind's eye.

The skeletons slammed into the earthworks on both sides. Some fell into trenches and couldn't get out. Some got a spoke trapped between their ribs and couldn't get free. Others lost their grip on the loose dirt, tumbling down the earthworks until they were in the trenches with their buddies. That was on Nico's side of the action.

On the other side, it was much worse. Lines of Imperial Gold laced Greek Fire exploded upward, sending skeletons flying. Others fell down well-hidden, deeper trenches with all sorts of nasty things at the bottom. But that barely blunted the hordes, who then arrived at the wall.

The wall was a hasty construction, built on the assumption that Hades' troops didn't have any seige engines. It was a bit taller than the skeletons, the bottom made of packed dirt and the with a few trees laid on top. Crude, but effective.

"Tell Dakota to move his men closer to the Fourth." Reyna ordered a messenger, who sped off. She was in charge of the side with many more enemies and fewer Romans to defend, while Frank was commanding the counter-attack and destruction of Nico's army.

"Forward!" Frank bellowed. The Romans, assembled in arrowheads, slammed into the army that breached the less intensive defenses of his side. There was an unrealized side-effect to this kind of charge. With all the weight they were carrying, bones were crushed as the Romans stomped ahead.

The arrowheads penetrated deep into the mass of skeletons, perforating their lines and pressing forward. For all of the pluses of the skeletons, they weren't as heavy as they needed to be to press back the heavy tramp of the three cohorts -two-hundred sixty Romans. That was the thing about Romans- bunched together, they were practically a miniature fortress. Albeit one that stabbed and trampled and shoved it's way forward.

In this kind of battle, there was no purpose for the three battle lines the Romans usually set up. They didn't have the luxury of time or a large battlefield, rendering their usual tactics useless.

Reyna was keeping a close eye on both sides of the battle. Her retreat would have to be perfectly timed -too soon, and they would run into the backs of Frank's troops as they were still fighting Nico's skeletons. Too late, and there wouldn't be any forces left to flee.

She turned again, surveying the battle line. The skeletons were trying to get over the wall, but her forces were shoving them back. Her Romans were on borrowed time though, and they knew it.

Then a skeleton got over the fence. It was quickly torn apart and it's skull crushed, but it left a veteran lying on the ground with a spear through his chest.

Then the "everyone else" attacked from the woods, slamming into the sides of the horde Frank was facing. Their job wasn't really to push inward, rather to contain them so they couldn't wrap around the sides of Frank's formation. Explosive arrows blew apart skeleton's skulls, or missed and went off against the dirt harmlessly.

Reyna frowned -Frank hadn't made much progress after the initial charge, and now Alecto's and Rommel's undead men had began to penetrate the defenses she had thrown up, and her own Legionnaires were starting to fall.

If all else failed, they would have to scatter into the woods -and who knew how many would make it out alive?

Not many.

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Hylla looked through her binoculars at the battlefield she was racing to on the back of their latest and greatest success at modifying construction vehicles into weapons of war- a WDT. The War-Dump Trucks, reminiscent of the war elephants of old -but without the possibility of turning on her own women.

She saw Romans arrayed in arrowheads, making little headway against a huge horde of skeletons. People with orange shirts and bronze swords hemmed in the horde at the sides, but even together the Greeks and Romans were heavily outnumbered.

Then she tracked back to the defenses the Romans set up, seeing her sister's glossy black hair even from a ways away. Her men were doing a good job of keeping another horde from getting over a low wall, but they were getting pushed back a little at a time.

Hylla rapped on the roof of the driver's seat, "Full speed ahead, Kinzie! Right into the skeletons!"

"Can we run over a few males?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Fine."

Back at the wall, Reyna cursed bitterly. Alecto's and Rommel's forces had gotten over the wall entirely, "Pull everyone back! They have two minutes."

The messengers nodded, racing away. Two minutes was cutting it close, but any longer and it could be a disaster.

Slowly, she counted down. Two minutes, then she gestured to the _cornican_ next to her.

He blew a trio of short notes, then flashes of green and gold light up the sky. A dangerous mixture of Greek Fire and Imperial Gold ignited under the wall, blowing upward and making a mess out of whatever was in it's path. Skeletons were blown to pieces again, blown backwards into their own horde, or blew forward into the shields of braced Romans, having expected this ever since the first note blew.

It didn't buy them long, then the skeletons were on them. Reyna raked her gaze over the battlefield, seeing her men and women fighting and dying. There were too many enemies to hold them for long, but she had to hope it was enough. Desperately, she switched to Frank's battle -and her eyes widened.

A cluster of large, yellow trucks were barreling towards Nico's army, followed by a pack of camouflaged women- the Amazons. Hopefully they weren't too late.

They were.

Reyna's line broke, Romans scattering in a mad retreat -it was every man and woman for themselves. The skeletons easily kept pace with them, killing at will.

Cursing, Reyna drew her _gladius_ and sent her courage and strength into the Legion, all the while shouting orders, "Form the line! Fourth, to me!"

It wasn't quite useless, but the majority were too far away to hear her over the sounds of the screams of the dying.

Those who did grew in number, but not nearly as many as the Praetor hoped.

Then the dump trucks hit the back of Nico's horde, skeletons shattering under the massive wheels and unyielding metal. It was, of course, altered to run down infantry.

The Romans of Frank's force let out a ragged cheer for their allies, while the Greeks joined in after a few seconds.

Reyna couldn't find anything to cheer about, running at a steady tramp to the rest of the Legion. She passed bodies of Romans that died after Frank's charge, Greeks that died during their flanking attack, and fauns that were brave enough to get themselves turned into a plant.

Then the _cornican_ , who stuck by her the entire time, blew one final order for her. It was a two-fold order -run like hell west and set off every single buried explosive they had in this field.

It worked -Frank's men had finally chased off Nico, and without his orders, the skeletons had no cohesion. The Romans just rolled right over them, shattering them into dust as the dump-trucks did an abrupt turn -as abrupt as they could, anyways- racing back in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, Kinzie's truck halted, the redheaded Amazon climbing out. There was a short argument between herself and her Queen, but she left and gathered a chunk of the Amazons who were on foot, leading them around the retreating Greco-Roman force. A rear-guard, or rather, another one. The first was almost completely killed off.

Hylla climbed into the truck and raced off.

It wasn't a victory, per se.

But they survived, and that just had to be good enough.

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Frank winced as he looked at the list of those dead and missing -but he couldn't really comprehend troops dying under his command yet. Reyna could, and kept herself cold. It was a disaster, even if they got away.

Dakota and Gwen both were dead, Gwen only freshly retired and in her second year of college, Dakota on his second-to-last year of service. Hank was on his eleventh, still staying with the Legion. Lelia, another Centurion. Jacob, the holder of the eagle. Nathan, of the First. Marcus, of the Fourth.

She nearly sighed in relief after ascertaining they did not, in fact, lose the eagle _again_. Micheal Kahale had seen Jacob die, and fought his way through the horde until he could get it, then fought his way out. For a son of Venus, he was good at his job.

Then one name, out of the nearly two-hundred Romans that died, caught her eye. The names were organized by last initial, and this one was under the L's.

Hazel Levesque.

Next to her, Frank made a choking sound as he too reached the L's.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Reyna said, forcing the words past emotionless lips. Losing her would be a blow to the morale, even more than losing nearly half their number.

Arion had dragged her body back to the Legion, and now her body would be buried in New Rome. They couldn't put the _denarii_ in her mouth yet -there was every chance that Pluto would try and torture them for information. They were going back to New Rome anyways, so it was decided to pile the dead in the back of dump trucks and in the wagons that used to carry the artillery -it was all blown up when Reyna set off the final round of explosives.

"Can I see her?" Frank asked, his voice barely a whisper but containing as much pain as it could.

Reyna shook her head, "You don't want to."

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Thankfully, there weren't nearly so many fatalities in the Hunt -they were the ones supporting the infantry, not fighting in the front lines.

The only one who might die was Huiliang, who fell from her tree hard. The femur of her right leg was thrust up into her chest after she landed awkwardly, but Percy -under Celyn's direction- had pushed it back into place without breaking the skin.

Still, Artemis didn't like the list of the fallen from everyone else. One-hundred, seventy-six Romans, mostly from Reyna's rearguard. Twenty-three Greeks dead, and another sixteen missing. Two dozen assorted nature spirits and Satyrs. The seventy-five Amazons who formed the second rearguard, led by Kinzie, had yet to return as well.

Three-hundred twenty-four, in all. Hopefully, the rearguard would find a way to escape and get back here, but Artemis knew they wouldn't be so lucky. Kinzie had led them to their deaths -according to Hylla and the others in her dump, she volunteered despite Hylla's objections.

Then she picked up a report from Liliana. The Pack was practically running away -the Hunt, gathered together and with everyone else here, was way too big for them to attack. Curiously, the monsters didn't seem to be showing their faces.

But that would be changing soon.

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A day later, far ahead of the skeleton hordes, the Hunt had put out pickets -and one of them said the words they were all dreading.

"It's the monsters." the picket, Baccina Machiavelli, said, "Prometheus, his _empousa_ , and a few giants."

Artemis scowled at the news, "Follow them and get a kill shot on Prometheus before challenging them."

Baccina nodded, cutting the message while Artemis opened ten new ones, "Prometheus is here."

"How many?" Athena asked, cutting across the inevitable chaos that rose.

"Five." Artemis replied.

"A parlay?"

"I don't know if he has an army or not -you sent my Hunters to keep tabs on Hades, not the monsters."

Meanwhile, Baccina opened a new message with her Lady, "Prometheus wants to talk."

Zeus frowned heavily, looking from his own rainbow into Baccina's, "Lead him here."

Athena nodded, "We might as well hear the terms of our surrender."

"You heard them, Baccina. After you get them there, get the Hunt alert." Artemis ordered, and that was when Baccina moved.

Sweeping her hand, the goddess broke all the connections and flashed herself to the command tent. They were just inside Indiana, but most of the skeleton horde was on the other side of the border -it had barely moved in the last day. Perhaps they did more damage than they thought.

Prometheus walked in, looking impeccable in his exquisitely tailored suit and the _empousa_ purring on his arm. Artemis glared at the monster -why would anyone try to seduce a male?

"Prometheus." Zeus said stiffly.

"King Zeus. I've come for a parlay."

"Obviously, it has been granted." Athena said, "Why do you want one?"

"Why, to offer my assistance in this war against your uncle." Prometheus smiled easily at the goddess, looking the picture of good intentions.

"And what will it cost us?" Artemis asked -there had to be a sting in the tail here.

"Merely your pride at having to accept help for a Titan. Unlike the others, I was never really against you. I just wasn't with you." Prometheus shrugged, "The truth of it is that we monsters and Titans would be far worse off with Hades as the King of the Gods. And we would like to prevent that from happening."

The silver goddess narrowed her eyes. Prometheus and truth were at far ends of the spectrum in her mind, but they couldn't refuse help -they needed every bit they could get.

"What forces are you offering?" Zeus asked, his voice still hard as stone.

"More than you know of, Zeus. Seven thousand, five hundred fifty-eight, at last headcount." Prometheus smiled, "Come to think of it, I do have a condition. No more vultures."

"And who would the monster's command be under?" The King of the Gods continued.

"Mine, of course."

"On behalf of the council, I accept the troops and your service in good faith." intoned the god of the Sky.

Athena looked like she wanted to interrupt, and Artemis personally was beyond words. Prometheus couldn't be trusted, and things like "good faith" were also far beyond him.

Prometheus smiled, giving the King a small bow, "Much appreciated, King Zeus."

The minute he disappeared, Athena rounded on Zeus, "What are you doing?! Don't you know Prometheus is just going to use us?"

"I think he plans on backstabbing us as soon as Hades is contained." Zeus replied, "So you must defend against that. We could not afford to pass this opportunity by, Athena."

Athena stormed out of the tent, still cursing Zeus' decision.

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"What's the absolute minimum number of Hunters you need to watch Hades' armies?" Athena asked once Artemis caught up to her.

"Thirty, or around there."

Athena nodded, her brain racing, "I'm going to need the rest of them to start killing monsters."

Artemis frowned, "Pulling something like that off even _once_ is next to impossible."

"Does it look like we have a choice?"

"No." replied the goddess of the Hunt, resigned to this impossible task.

"Has Perseus improved at all?"

"He's almost worked himself to death a few times."

Now Athena was the one frowning, "Didn't Demeter say not to work him past his limits?"

"I don't know what his limits _are._ He works himself to unconsciousness." They re-entered the Command Tent, now empty but for the huge map in the middle. There was now a figurine in the shape of Medusa's head, representing Prometheus' monsters. "How many monsters did he say?"

"Seven thousand, five-hundred fifty-eight."Athena stated, "I doubt even a fourth of them know how to fight."

"They still outnumber us nine-to-one right now." Artemis scowled, "We need reinforcements we can trust."

* * *

 **A/N: Look out for the Son of Leto -I'm posting it in about an hour -11:18 Greenwich Mean Time.**

 **If there's anyone you really want to survive, please review and tell me -I'll see if I can oblige.**

 **Please review, follow, favorite, etc. It really makes my day.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I'm glad no one has called me out for the whole "How did the Legion get across the US in a few days when the rest of them couldn't go very far?" The answer: I have no idea. It just works. Maybe the Olympians flashed them there, because they wanted more troops on hand. Maybe they just have enough cars to drive them across.**

 **I'm also assuming that godly metals and alloys don't notch, but just get dull.**

Chapter 12-

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When the Centaurs joined up with the rest of Olympus' "army," everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The spirits of the air wouldn't be far behind, and the denizens of the Oceans were waiting on the other side of Hades' army.

That wasn't the only happening of note, however. Nico's skull token on the map was gone, and there was a new army in New York -one with a simple swastika. No one knew who commanded it, but Apollo said it was just as big as the other armies.

Chiron cantered up to the Greek's temporary camp, both seeing and missing faces. Perhaps as many one of every five Greeks was dead, maybe one of six or seven. No one wanted to do the math.

Then he turned, galloping into the Hunt's camp. Perseus would be there, he knew. But it was hard to connect the Perseus he knew to the emotionally wrecked person in front of him.

"Percy, my boy, are you well?"

Percy looked at him with the dull, dead eyes that Artemis and Thalia had gotten used to long ago. "I am in perfect health, Centaur."

Chiron frowned. Had Annabeth's death and working in the Hunt done that much damage?

This would require further study, study outside of wartime.

"Chiron?" Artemis asked, surprised, "I didn't expect to see you here."

Of course, Chiron was one of the few male creatures the goddess was actually friendly with.

"I was looking for Perseus."

"Looks like you've found him." Artemis nodded at the toiling demigod, "He's been like that ever since he came from the Underworld. Hestia, Athena, Demeter and I tried to help, but we just made it worse."

"Perhaps I could look at him."

"You're welcome to. Athena thought his soul split into two somehow." Artemis replied, narrowing her eyes as she saw the weakness in Percy's form. He was about to collapse.

The goddess stepped forward, catching his arm just as the son of Poseidon fell unconscious from sheer exhaustion.

"What happened?" Chiron exclaimed, cantering over and putting a hand over Percy's heart. It was, of course, still beating.

"He's unconscious." Artemis shrugged, "Zeus sent him to be a servant here, but he can't keep up with the chores after the rest of the Hunt came. And he doesn't know when to stop."

"He seems rather . . . dead." Chiron commented.

"If he keeps going like this, he will be."

"A day or two of rest couldn't hurt him." suggested the wise Centaur, "I have a few herbs that will help, as well."

"Very well." said the Goddess of the Hunt, and to Chiron's surprise, picked up Percy, "Follow me to his tent."

There were few Hunters awake at this hour of the night, mostly on picket duty and not looking at the camp.

She threw open the flap to Percy's tent, walking in and gently placing Percy on his bed -as if this was normal.

"Give him the herbs tomorrow. He isn't going to wake up until about six o' clock."

Chiron bowed deeply in respect of the Olympian, then galloped away to join his kinsmen.

Artemis went to her own tent, curling up on her bed and letting the snores of her wolf -Amber- put her to sleep.

-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-

Artemis blinked her eyes open, adjusting them to the darkness of Hades' throneroom. Perseus was bowed with his forehead on the ground in front of Hades' throne, waiting as Hades gave him orders.

Another one of his memories, or rather, what her mind constructed out of the little information Percy had given her.

"There is a rogue werewolf near Tartaurus. Get me it's pelt. Dismissed." Hades finished. The Perseus from his not-quite-memory got to his feet, walking out the throneroom while another Percy walked in. This one could see her, interact with her as the memory played out in the background.

It seemed to alternate every time, between just being in Artemis' tent and seeing one of these "memories."

They both followed the memory-Perseus out the door, watching as he weaved through passages and out of a small side entrance that was practically unnoticeable against the black ore of Hades' palace.

"Where are we going?" Artemis asked the non-memory Percy.

"To where I got this." he pointed at the scar that went from his forehead, across one eye, and down into a cheek. "A hellhound gave it to me."

He _did_ say that happened. Collecting the pelt was probably just Artemis' imagination filling in the gaps.

They neared Tartaurus, keeping on their heals. Even in a dream, that place radiated malice and tried to pull them in.

And there was the hellhound, a good distance away and growling at them.

Perseus raised his knife. Percy's breath hitched. Artemis looked on, interested in what she thought was a fake memory. It wasn't -this was exactly how Percy earned that scar.

The hellhound leapt, colliding with Perseus and sending him to the floor as it's claws raked over his face. They both started sliding towards Tartaurus, but the demigod couldn't end the fight just by stabbing it. Hades ordered him to collect the pelt, and he would not be pleased with any rends in it.

Perseus slammed the hilt of Annabeth's dagger into the hellhound's skull, but that only made it angrier. It rolled and growled, trying to scramble to it's feet and failing miserably. Then the slave of Hades saw his chance, and took it.

The dagger flew upward, through the bottom of the hellhound's skull -killing it instantly and with minimal damage to the useful part of the pelt.

The innards of the monster turned to dust, being sucked into the pit while it's pelt just laid there. Now Perseus was the one trying to scramble away, stabbing Annabeth's dagger into the ground to get a better grip. Even still, he was being pulled, foot by foot, into Tartaurus.

He was now hanging by his fingertips and the buried dagger, dangling off the edge as his grip weakened.

Artemis knew how this would turn out -he obviously didn't die here.

Then she heard footsteps, turning to see Nico running, seeing the dagger, "Percy?"

The son of Hades locked his hand around Perseus' forearm, digging his heels into the rocks and pulling. Bit by bit, inch by inch, he pulled the son of Poseidon from death's doorstep. They both staggered away exhausted and collapsing next to the hellhound pelt.

Perseus recovered first, bowing deeply to Nico, his head pressed into the sharp rocks that bordered Tartaurus.

"Stop it, Percy." Nico said tiredly, sitting up. "You know what to do."

Perseus mechanically moved forward and upward, kissing Nico hard on the lips.

Artemis turned away, looking at the Percy who _could_ see her, "I didn't think Nico was gay."

"I didn't know either." Percy replied, looking at the two figures dispassionatly.

Nico moved away from the memory-Perseus, breaking the lip lock and muttering discontentedly.

"Lie down, Percy." Nico ordered, taking out a small flask of nectar and a black hankie.

He started cleaning out the claw marks on Perseus' face, healing them, but ran out by the time he got to the one going through his eye.

"That one might be a scar." Nico said, pointing.

Perseus didn't reply, while Percy touched his own, now healed, scar.

Then Nico, Perseus, and Artemis all split up, while Percy followed Artemis like a good little male.

-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-

Artemis woke as Amber jumped on her, licking the goddess' face. She smiled, holding the wolf close for a few seconds before getting up. War stopped for no women, even if that women beat up War on a regular basis.

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Percy didn't have much too look forward these days. That was the consequence of having a neat, orderly life of servitude to a group of girls that were too pre-occupied to castrate him.

But he did look forward to some things. When Artemis called for them to pack up, there was a aura of energy and excitement that pulsed through the entire camp -two things that he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

Or sleeping, and talking with the Artemis he imagined. It was odd, but as demigod's dreams went . . . it could be much worse.

"Let's get moving, Hunters!" Artemis called, "We move out in five!"

Immediately, Percy packed up the spare knives he was sharpening and took down the Armory tent, then did the same for his own. All around him, Hunters that he didn't know did the same. Everyone was excited, or nervous, to see what battles the day would bring. Everyone here was used to war, to bloodshed, and suffering, and all had their own ways of dealing with it and staying happy.

Those that didn't took heart in those that did.

And Percy just didn't care -it wasn't his job to care. It used to be, but now he was just a servant.

The tents went into the discrete pocket in his tunic, then he went to the center of camp. Most of the Hunt was already there, assembled in blocks with mixes of powers, abilities and skill levels. As a servant, he made his way to the center with Artemis and Thalia.

If they were ambushed, it was up to each group to fight their way free and meet up with the others.

Once the last few tents came down and the last few Hunters assembled, Artemis called the march and disappeared. She, along with the rest of the Olympians, would be watching from the Command Tent.

The Hunters, and Percy by extension, moved like ghosts through the countryside. Cities were generally avoided, as a large group of girls wearing silver uniforms were usually thought a cult of some kind. It was, really, but that still drew unwelcome attention from mortals.

The day passed with small breaks for food and the occasional Hunter relieving herself -far away from Percy.

All in all, they made good time across the land -hopefully better time than Hades' forces.

By the late afternoon, they were a bit _too_ far ahead of the Greeks, and took a short nap. The Romans were _almost_ matching them, but their armor was just a tad too heavy.

Then the day was over, the Hunt setting up camp again. Percy, of course, was not trusted to stand watch, so he attended to his chores.

Thankfully, Hunters on the march didn't create nearly as many chores as Hunters in a temporary camp -no new arrows to fletch, not nearly as much muddy laundry, no arrows to sharpen back to perfection, no tables to clean, etc.

And jogging through fields wasn't nearly as tiring as _plowing_ those fields.

The harpies and wind spirits joined the ranks of Olympus the next day, their number swelling to nearly four thousand. The denziens of the Sea, once they merged armies, would bring that number up over six-thousand. A good number, but less of them were trained to fight as Athena liked.

Still, with the monsters, they could beat back Hades in time.

When Artemis checked the map again, it seemed like the horde had actually _retreated_ a little, though the new one that came out of the Door of Orpheus had swung by Camp Half-Blood before double-timing it to it's kin.

Zeus actually smiled as the last of his men -or in the harpies' case, women- gathered.

" _Now_ can we take back Olympus?" Zeus asked the Council -Athena in particular- but everyone knew he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Athena, begin drafting plans for attacking Hades' forces." ordered the King, "And to deal with any _unexpected circumstances_."

Unexpected circumstances. The key words, he said, to begin thinning the numbers of the monsters. They already had the plan and excuses -that Nico's army had hidden and was attacking. The bodies of the Romans and Greeks to show that they, too, had been raided. To Prometheus, thinking _he_ was the one playing _them_ , it would go off without a hitch. Hopefully.

Athena nodded, turning to Prometheus, "I'll need the exact composition of your troops."

"Of course."

Artemis hid a smile -this was going to be easier than she thought. Something like the composition of troops was one of the all-important pieces of information in a war -after all, no one liked being surprised by a formerly-hidden pack of Drakons. The last time that happened, it really ruined Artemis' day.

The silver goddess flashed away, grabbing the first Hunter she saw, "Meeting. Tell the others.."

Baccina nodded, racing away.

A few minutes later, most of the Hunters were gathered around Artemis -the notable exceptions being the ones on picket duty.

"As you might have heard, the last of Zeus' troops arrived today. Tomorrow, we start marching back to Olympus."

Artemis waved her hand, and smoke from a nearby fire drifted into a screen showing the forces of Olympus and the forces of the Underworld, "As you can see, we outnumber Hades' men two-to-one."

Baccina scowled; Her father always said to trust neither mercenaries nor auxiliaries.

"We'll be scouting ahead of the rest of the army, so be ready to get up and get moving early tomorrow." the goddess continued, "If all goes well, this war should be over in the next few weeks."

The Hunt cheered at this while Baccina scowled. There was Zethes' chance in the Underworld that the monsters wouldn't stab them right in the back -and she suspected Hades had more tricks up his sleeve than he had let on so far. She'd have to talk to Artemis about this; The goddess had listened to her council in the past.

Meanwhile, Resuza would be skipping and whistling if she could. It was all going to plan: The gods would beat Hades, then the monsters and werewolfs and Lyra and Percy would kill the Hunters. Then Lyra would be the Queen of the werewolves, Percy the King, and those Hunters their servants. She would especially love the look on their faces -they hardly noticed Percy in the first place. Then Percy and Lyra would be married, and it would be happily ever after.

It made sense to an eight year-old.

"Artemis, can we talk?" Baccina asked, walking up to the goddess.

She nodded, turning and walking side-by-side with the Hunter.

Once they entered Artemis' tent, the goddess turned back to her, "What did you want to talk about."

"The monsters, milady. I believe they are going to attack us once we deal with Hades."

Artemis smiled, "I know. Zeus has tasked Athena and I with whittling them down and out-maneuvering them until we have the advantage in numbers."

"Oh."

"In fact, we're starting later tonight." continued the Goddess of the Hunt, surprising the mortal-turned Hunter, "And we still have room for a few more."

"May I join you, Lady Artemis?"

"Of course."

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A few hours later that night, the Hunters crept out of their camp like church mice. They weren't in silver -much too noticeable against the night. Fifty-one in all, including Artemis and Baccina.

There was, according to the reports, a small camp of monsters about a mile from the Hunter's camp. They were a little _too_ far from the rest of their army.

Artemis held up a fist, then lifted her middle finger and twirled it. _Find the sentries._ Her fist closed again, then formed a five twice. _Ten minutes._ Again the fist, then another five. _Five minutes after the ten, attack the camp._

The Hunt didn't need to acknowledge the order -there was just no other acceptable possibility.

Pheobe and the most experienced Hunters -Liliana still being in the Pack- had the most difficult task -sneaking all the way around the camp and taking out the sentries there.

From a camp of this size -around two hundred,- it was doubted there would be any more than thirty to thirty-five monsters standing on guard, but the Hunt wasn't taking any chances.

Pheobe and her group came across their first sentry and Pheobe gestured them onward. Unless caught with no other choice, they would kill all of them once the ten minutes were all out. After all, a single scream could raise the alarm.

The Hunter checked her watch, one eye glued on it while the other stayed on the monster. It was one of the _dracaenae,_ _wielding_ a trident an net. Pheobe scowled. That weapon combination was way too over-rated.

As the last few seconds ticked by, the Hunter crept up behind her, then buried a Celestial Bronze knife in it's throat.

It let out a strangled _squak_ before falling to the ground as a pile of dust.

Five minutes later, the Hunters walked through the monster's camp, as silent as ghosts and deadly as the plague.

Two or three entered a tent at once, killing the monsters sleeping there barracks-style before moving on to the next. It was done in absolute silence, pulled off perfectly by Hunters with centuries and millenia of experience. No one cared that they were killing helpless enemies; It was better than facing them on the field of battle.

At the end, they moved some piles of dust around in the tent, scattering broken bones around them. As a finishing touch, a skull-banner hung in the center of the camp, a sickening calling card.

No one spoke as they all jogged away together -there was nothing to be said. This was the experienced core of the Hunters, those entirely capable of being ruthlessly effective. They didn't think themselves evil, this was the best of a bunch of bad options.

They passed by their own pickets silently, neither side acknowledging what they just did. They would all find a way to justify it, and they didn't need any of the newer Hunters questioning them.

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Prometheus knelt, picking up a pinch of dust and squinting at it, then peered at the skull flag. He turned to his _empousa_ lover, "Double the guards, Vivian. If Nico attacks again, we will be ready."

The _empousa_ turned and walked away, passing on the orders. Then something different happened, something not the norm for the monster -she took out a photograph of her daughter. Sylia was tall, beautiful, and nineteen years old. She wasn't a daughter of Prometheus -the only thing Vivian loved about the Titan was the promise he had made.

For Vivian and Sylia were two of a dying race -true _empousai_ , ones that came from Pandora's Box. Unlike the imperfect _empousai_ Hecate created, Vivian had human legs -and quite sexy ones from what Prometheus said.

There would be no safety for her daughter in a world where the gods ruled. Even in Paris, far from the fighting and surrounded by Circe's former sorceresses, she would find no refuge from the Hunt. Prometheus would change that, kill the gods _and_ the Hunters before Vivian arranged for a tragic _accident_ from which her daughter would rule.

Nothing was more important to her than family, and if Sylia found a suitable mate along the way it was all for the good.

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The next day, the forces of Olympus and Prometheus were moving across the land in all due speed. They didn't run themselves ragged try to catch Hades -that would do nothing but make them weaker and more frustrated.

Centaurs were used as advance scouts as well as the Hunt, following close by the five hordes of skeletons while Hunters took more specific observations.

This was what war was like between massive armies caught on foot: days of inaction, followed by brief hours of bloody action that left everyone traumatized.

The non-violent citizens of Olympus reached New Rome pretty quickly, and now the Senate was debating just where to put them.

At least, that was what Persephone said, who was leading them.

Artemis scowled, "We need a way to cut them off before they reach the Door."

"I concur." Athena nodded in sage agreement, "I believe the best place to do that is here."

She pointed at relatively large green splotch in Pennsylvania, "The six drakons will be released from the east, forcing Hades' men to retreat in this direction. While their formation is broken, the harpies and storm spirits will swoop in from above while the rest of us are formed up to brace for their charge. Lastly, Triton's forces attack from the rear."

As she spoke, the map zoommed and blocks of blue and red collided, the blue of course being victorious, "Are we agreed, Prometheus."

"The plan is acceptable to me, yes, assuming we will not be used as cannon-fodder." Prometheus agreed.

"We'll see." Athena turned to the rest of the council, "I will be sending more specific orders later in the week. Prometheus, get your drakons and whatever you need to control them ready for quick marching."

Prometheus nodded silently. His drakons were valuable and effective troops. If he were them, he'd expect them to want to withhold them. So Prometheus went with it -six drakons would be a small price to pay for the element of surprise, especially if he hadn't lied about the number. Eight others were being held in secret by Lycaon, waiting for his call.

Athena smiled to herself -those drakons would've been a major problem.

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Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Nico was having the _time of his life_.

"You failed me again, Nico." Hades growled, "You were rash. You made unforgivable mistakes."

"Father, I-"

"SILENCE!" Hades roared, "Your army, the army _I_ gave you, is gone! Thanks too you, _they_ were able to escape and meet with the Amazons! Your incompetence took a perfect victory away from me!"

"Father-"

"No! I don't want to hear your excuses! If Bianca were still alive, I would have given this task to her." growled the God of the Dead. A trident appeared in his hands, the gold that composed it being infected by black splotches on the shaft, "Others have reported the the forces of Olympus have united with the monsters against me, showing their hypocrisy once more."

Wisely, Nico didn't interrupt again.

"So you must take the Trident. Should Kampé show her face again, or a monster of similar power, you are to use it. The more competent commanders, those that _haven't_ failed me, will handle the fighting." ordered Hades, tossing Poseidon's symbol of power at his son.

Nico caught it, surprised by the weight. As he held it, the black stains on gold glowed with power, while the blue emanating off of it seemed to submit to it's new owner.

"You must not lose this. The Trident is worth much, much more than your life."

"I will not fail you again, father." Nico said, his eyes glowing with a mix of blue and black.

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The next day, Percy nearly knocked into Lyra as he tripped on a root.

The werewolf frowned, "I'll need to work on your footing next time. But for now let's make sure you can survive this war."

Percy nodded, taking up a ready stance with Riptide and his dagger. Picking up implications was one thing his subservient side was steadily getting better.

Lyra attacked him with a single shortsword, opening with a deep lunge that Percy barely deflected.

She bared her teeth, "You'd better pick up your game, Perseus."

The demigod nodded, focusing himself. This time, when Lyra attacked, he caught her sword on the cross-guard of Annabeth's dagger, Riptide arcing around to disarm her if the werewolf hadn't wrapped iron fingers around that wrist, then reared back and slammed her forehead into Percy's nose.

She was careful not to cause any damage that couldn't be healed with some nectar and an hour or so, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt like Hades.

"That was sloppy, Percy. Do better."

Lyra feinted a slash, but shifted it to a lunge. Percy leapt away before lunging forward again, knocking her shortsword away and swinging at her head.

The werewolf caught Percy's wrist on her's, but the demigod slammed a knee into her stomach and shoved. Lyra stumbled back, before raising her sword to deflect a hail of blows.

"Better. Remember, everything here can be used as a weapon. Dirt? Throw it in my eyes. A stick? Kick it at me. Use any and every advantage you can to beat your opponent, because Artemis won't go easily."

The son of Poseidon nodded silently, taking up a stance again.

"Now you attack me. I will stay on the defensive for five minutes, then switch to offensive. Try to disarm me before your five minutes are up." Lyra instructed. The purpose of this exercise was twofold, both forcing the demigod to remain aware of time _and_ work under a deadline. Under such circumstances, it was far more likely he would take chances -something he formerly abhorred doing.

Percy lunged forward, and Lyra gave way. Their blades flickered in a dance of death, the demigod clearly pressing the werewolf back step by step. Then he did something unexpected, stabbing Riptide point-first into the ground and punching Lyra as she tracked the movement.

She blocked it, of course, but Percy's arm twisted around her's and yanked. Lyra went with it, then reversed the grip. The son of Poseidon tumbled over her hip, but took her with him. Lyra landed on top, her shortsword pressed against his throat while she felt the cold kiss of metal against her neck.

On an impulse, Lyra leaned down and kissed him full in the lips.

Percy hesitated, then replied eagerly. Assuming this was a new way of defying Artemis, who cared if he _enjoyed_ it as well?

Lyra broke the kiss for some air, biting him in the throat gently. Percy groaned, pulling her close again, but she broke away.

"Later, Percy. That was your reward for coming to a stalemate with me." Lyra rolled off the demigod, who groaned again in complaint.

In the treeline, Liliana scowled. She had to get to him soon, or he would be too far under her spell to be freed.

This time, Percy was much more spirited in his fighting, the sheer energy behind him making Lyra step it up a notch -rewards such as those would have to be few and far between.

"Looks like you're rather excited, Percy." Lyra called, smiling. Like as not, she enjoyed teaching her protege-turned-perhaps-something-more?

Percy grinned back, adrenaline pumping through his body. It was his first kiss since Annabeth, and it felt _good._

"It's been a while since I've kissed a girl."

Lyra narrowed her eyes, adding another piece of evidence to a growing theory. From her observations, he rarely spoke in the Hunt, yet here he spoke without being ordered too after certain stimulus. He was also willing to attack Resuza, a Hunter -something that Lyra would've bet he couldn't do in the Hunt.

She would need to look into this, and she knew just the person: An old ally of hers, one that Liliana trusted implicitly even after an affair doomed to failure. Hydrus, son of Mnemosyne. Also her brother.

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"I need your help." were the first words that came out of Lyra's mouth.

Hydrus was massive -there were no other words for it. Not Cyclops size, but still 6' 11" -towering over everyone he met. Taller than she was by a good foot. As if anyone should be using feet in this age -the metric system was clearly superior. Last time Lyra had asked, he was just about 212 centimeters.

He wasn't all height, though. He was built like a bear, big and bulky throughout.

He was a good younger brother, all things considered. Eager to help her, and strong enough to do so.

"How're you doin', Princess?"

And annoying.

"As I've said, I need your help." Lyra stated.

"I heard you the first time, sis." Hydrus grinned, showing off a little and sifting through her memories, "Just as cloudy as ever in there. Ooh, a little showdown with Artemis. Congrats on beating her. And you need to introduce me to this Perseus fellow, let me size him up."

Lyra focused, imagining some memories floating to the forefront of her mind while more embarrassing secrets scurried back. It was an effective trick -the ones at the front always took his attention for a little bit. If needed, she could force her mind to swirl, like it was in a blender -then Hydrus got lost in the spinning memories.

"Hmm. I'll know more if I can get a direct read on him."

In a way, their powers were sole opposites. He could read the change the memories of others, but manipulate his own only to a certain extent. Lyra, on the other hand, was very capable at pushing memories that distracted her away -not that she did, most of the time- and limited ability to change the minds of anyone else.

Lyra was jealous of his ability -not that she'd ever show it- but Hydrus said it wasn't all fun and games. He once tried to read the mind of an old man, but got lost in some horrible memories and couldn't get out.

"Free next Sunday?" Lyra asked brusquely.

Hydrus nodded, "You meeting Percy then?"

"No, we're playing golf." sarcasm colored her voice, "Of course!"

"No need to get all sarcastic, sis." Hydrus grinned, "See you then, Princess. Lycaon wants me handling the drakons."

* * *

 **A/N: So Lyra and Percy is definitely a thing . . . for now. Sylia is introduced -watch out for her. More of Baccina, who will also become integrated into the plot. Meanwhile, Thalia and Pheobe fall at the wayside -not for long.**

 **Also, I made a mistake in saying that Percy's two sides -subservient and subversive- aren't aware of each other. They are, simply because it would be nearly impossible to keep track of them otherwise.**

 **Lastly, I'm split between having Percy become a Gary Stu after this war and having him continue to make mistakes -and rather big ones at that. For instance, this thing with Lyra. Should he split it off to be perfect for Artemis, or cheat on her with Artemis? Cheating on both her and Artemis with the other would be really fun to write, though I'm not completely closed to a multi relationship if you guys want it.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Okay, there were more people wanting a multi relationship/Percy cheating than not, which means I'll be going down the Prison path. Don't worry, Percy's partners won't be the ones in Prison -most of the time, at least.**

 **Dragonhitter: I'm just assuming there were few enough "true" empousai to begin with, and some of them faded over time.**

 **storyteller1333: Having Percy as a Wolf King would be fun, but it would also completely burn any bridges he had with Artemis if he took any Hunters as slaves.**

* * *

Chapter 13-

Percy sighed in relief as he set down the last arrow he fletched. There were a good few hundred of them, to be added to the "just in case" stockpile. Except that splitting the Hunt was still in the back of Artemis' mind, so now he had to make enough to last another group of Hunters for a long time without Artemis re-supplying them.

Granted, that was before the war, but Artemis never told him to stop. He took to his feet, stepping outside the cleverly named "Fletching Tent" and collapsed it. It was late at night, maybe ten or eleven, so Percy just walked back to the Armory to put the Fletching Tent back in it's slot in the box.

His hand slipped, the tent knocking aside another before hitting the bottom.

It was marked "Prison"

Percy shook his head, trying to clear it before looking again. Prison.

Artemis didn't seem like the kind of person to keep prisoners; Maybe this was some kind of joke?

His instincts told him no, and in a moment of defiance he pocketed the tent.

"Are you done, Percy?" a new voice asked.

Percy leapt back, startled, and spun to see Artemis, "No."

"Go back to your tent and sleep." ordered the goddess, who then turned and left.

Percy's whole body hummed with adrenaline as he put the box back; Tomorrow he would investigate the prison, but now sleep seemed like a really good idea.

-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-

Again Artemis sat up in her bed to see Percy sitting at her desk. It wasn't very surprising now, and she had taken to sleeping in her Hunter's outfit in consequence.

Percy, on the other hand, decided to sleep shirtless -not that Artemis was complaining. This wasn't real, after all, so she might as well do as she liked.

The goddess swung her legs out of the bed, sitting upright, and patted the sheets next to her. Percy sat down heavily -it was hard not too with the masses of muscle he had.

"Have you ever fought the Pack before, Percy?"

The demigod shook his head.

"No? They're completely ruthless, and won't hesitate to use anyone and everything to kill me and mine. Remember that if you ever have to face them."

She fell silent again -Artemis had never been very good at making conversation with males.

Besides, she wanted to get to the crux of a problem that had been bothering her for a while, "Did you know I've never thought of any male as a suitable romantic partner?"

Percy nodded, realizing that he'd have to chose his words carefully now. This may be a dream, but Artemis could beat him up regardless and it would still hurt, "Yes."

"But now there's someone with the perfect attributes I would look for in a male -subservient, respectful, useful. Handsome. Someone who I've dedicated myself to helping, because even before he became like this he earned my respect. He could acknowledge his own limitations and endure a hardship so I could win the day for him."

"Who is he?" Percy asked, then felt like he made a terrible mistake.

"You are, idiot." Artemis turned to face him, "In all honesty, do you find me attractive?"

"Yes." Percy replied instantly.

Artemis sighed, "Of course you would say that. None of the is real. So no one would know if I did _this_."

She reached out, grabbing Percy's shoulder and locking their lips togther. But it felt wrong -not disgusting, but something felt so familiar. A case of deja vu. It felt like she was kissing Pheobe, even the hand that was on his shoulder felt like it was on Pheobe's shoulder.

It made sense, Artemis supposed. If all dreams were prior experiences cobbled together, and she had never kissed _Percy_ before, it would default to one of her former lovers.

Then the dream shattered around her as the whole world started shaking.

-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-

"Finally." Baccina muttered as Artemis rolled out of bed. "I never thought you were a deep sleeper."

Artemis groaned, stretching, "Usually I'm not. Odd dream."

"You need to see this." the Hunter turned, walking out the tent flap and leaving Artemis no choice but to follow.

The Command Tent had a hasty council of Zeus, Athena, and Ares when she arrived -and it was quite an odd development.

The map of their region was put away, and in it's place was a map of California. A California with three new symbols halfway in between San Fransisco and Los Angeles. None of them were friendly.

Artemis' blood ran cold. If Hades was faking the number of troops he could put to field this whole time. . . They'd have to keep moving forward to stop Hades' forces from sandwiching them.

"How did _this_ happen?!" Zeus growled, his anger barely restrained. "Artemis, you were in charge of monitoring Hades' troops."

"You never told me to send my Hunters into the Underworld." Artemis shot back, "And neither would I give them that order; I will not send _my_ Hunters to their deaths."

"It was all of our faults." Athena spoke up, her voice sharp, "The fact is that there is now a new force far behind us. Now the only thing that matters is what we're going to do about it."

"What do you propose?" Zeus asked, "Camp Jupiter is in jeoprady, and I will _not_ let my namesake be destroyed. We must garrison it."

Athena narrowed her eyes, "It would be unwise to split our forces."

"Do we have a choice?" Artemis snapped. She always sided with her father when she could help it -maintaining the "favorite daughter" title was useful, and in this case Zeus was right. "We sent everyone there who _couldn't_ fight. Do we abandon them there?"

The Goddess of Wisdom sighed heavily, resigning herself to this. It was the best of a bunch of bad choices, "We must send the Centaurs, then. They will cross the continent much more quickly alone."

"Will it be enough?"

"To harry these new commanders and draw them away from New Rome, yes." Athena looked at the map, as if willing it to change into something more favorable. It didn't. "I'll send the orders."

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Persephone frowned heavily at the son of Hecate, chained hand and foot, "What do you mean, you can't hide us?"

Declan was slumped down, breathing heavily, "I . . . I m-mean I can't, Per-Persephone."

The goddess backhanded him across the face, a heavily emerald ring she wore tearing his cheek, " _You will call me Master, demigod_!"

"I can't - _gasp-_ Hecate's will is too strong. M-Master." Declan keeled over, falling to the ground as his legs no longer supported him. His front and back was a mass of bruises and welts from the bullwhip and fists Persephone took to him before he submitted. "Th-their map can, can see us."

He gasped as Persephone drove a heeled foot into his back, "Do _better_."

"Th-there's nothing more. I, I'm spent." Declan's head fell into the dirt. "T-tomorrow."

Persephone drove her heel in deeper, "You will give me a solution _now_ , or I will replace you. It will not be a clean death if you stop me from getting to my husband."

Declan's eyes flicked into the distant column of smoke that used to be Camp Jupiter and New Rome -both of them now ablaze, the occupants completely slaughtered.

"I-I might be a-a-able to f-fool the map itself, ra-rather than pro-project our l-l-location." Declan said in a rush, "I d-don't think i-it'll be d-defended."

The Goddess of the Spring nodded, lifting her foot. Declan's head fell and he slept on the cold, hard ground.

The Centaurs would be barreling headlong into a trap.

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Zeus narrowed his eyes as, next morning, the tokens in California disappeared, "Hecate. Your map's broken."

The Goddess of Witchcraft flashed in, then placed both hands on the map and closed her eyes. Purple flowed off of her, forming arcane symbols and forgotten letters, "The map is not broken, Lord Zeus, nor has it been tampered with."

"Then how is it that three tokens appeared and disappeared in a matter of hours?"

Hecate looked stunned, "What? I have no idea. The map _hasn't_ been tampered with as far as I can tell, and it still works as well as the day I created it."

"Make a new one."

Hecate nodded, giving a short bow then flashing away.

Meanwhile, Artemis had the "higher ups" of the Hunt in a larger tent -Pheobe, Liliana, Baccina, Thalia, and a few other experienced Hunters -Thalia was only there to see what was going on.

They were all looking at Artemis' memory of the three new armies in California and discussing possible explinations. By now, it was obvious that they came out of DOA Recording Studios, but nothing more. No one noticed as Percy came in armed with a featherduster.

"Tell me why there would be an army in California." Artemis ordered the assembled Hunters.

"To attack us in the rear." Thalia spoke up, exposing her lack of experience in this kind of thing.

Pheobe shot her down, "They'd have to march across the entire continent. By the time they got here, anything could've changed."

"They're attacking Camp Jupiter." a new voice spoke. It was the son of Poseidon, and he had a fire in his eyes as he looked at the map.

An older Hunter frowned at this, "Quiet, male. This isn't-"

"Let him speak." Artemis cut across the Hunter's voice, and the glare sent by both Liliana and Thalia shut her up for good. "Though Camp Jupiter is empty."

"Exactly." Percy tapped on the map, "Your camp is entirely mobile, right? You just pack up and go. The only way to really damage you is to start killing you."

Artemis nodded, not exactly seeing where he was going with this.

"Romans are entirely the opposite. They didn't care how many of them died if it protected their home. Then that one guy took Rome and the entire Empire fell apart."

"That _one guy_ was Alaric the Visigoth, and he wasn't alone." Pheobe stepped in, but Artemis glared at her too.

"Anyways, if Hades attacked New Rome and burned it to the ground, it would be like the werewolves attacking and everyone here dying except for one or two of you." Percy continued, " _An_ _d_ Athena put all of the people of Olympus there too."

"We would be crushed." Baccina spoke for all of them, "I would be debating whether to live at that point."

"Lady Artemis, can you show me the east coast?" Percy asked, the respect that had been pounded into him by Hades never really leaving him.

Artemis concentrated, the projection of her memories shifting until it showed New York, and the army that had came out of the Door of Orpheus had swung down onto Long Island.

This completely dampened Percy's spirit. He took a step back, and his shoulders slumped.

Thalia was horrified, "Camp Half-Blood is gone."

Artemis sucked in a breath. To her, the nature and her Hunt was home. It was an easy comparison.

" _Di immortals_." Baccina breathed out, "We can't tell this to anyone else. Moral would plummet."

"Agreed. Zeus must be told, but no one else." said the goddess, flashing away.

Meanwhile, Thalia turned to the Servant, "And here I thought you were a mute, Kelp Head."

Percy didn't reply, but Liliana pulled aside Thalia, "I didn't think he was that smart."

Thalia shrugged, "He's a people person."

"And he has lost much in his time." broke Baccina into the conversation, "For most of us, it has been too long since we had a home other than the Hunt. Nothing here can't be taken with us in a rush, but we have all seen New Rome. It has history carved into the very foundations, whereas we _are_ the history we carry with us."

"Wow. Pretty deep." commented the daughter of Zeus, patting the Machiavelli on the shoulder.

Baccina sent a cold glare her way, "Do not try me."

"Whoa. What set _her_ off?"

"She doesn't like people who can't act serious around her." Liliana shrugged, "Her father didn't joke around much."

"Who _is_ her father?"

"I met him a few times on a mission in Italy. Niccolo Machiavelli, author of _The Prince_ and very coldly logical." Liliana smiled, "The second time I saw him, he had Athena on his arm."

Thalia whistled, "So Athena's Baccina's mother?"

"Nah, Baccina's pure mortal. Well, not so much now, but born mortal." Liliana turned to see Percy walked out of the tent, "I need to talk to Percy."

Apparently, Liliana's idea of talking involved shoving Percy into a tent. Her tent, in fact.

"What in _Hades_ do you think you're doing?" she hissed into Percy's ear. Even in her own tent, with the layers of defense and soundproofing she had added over her long life, one could never be too careful, "You kissed a _werewolf_."

Percy froze, "So?"

"So _what_. In _hell_. Do you think you're _doing_?" Liliana's voice rose in intensity as her voice became quieter, "You _can't_ trust werewolves. Whatever deal she made with you, walk away from."

"There is no "deal," Lady Liliana." Percy said, "Lyra is helping me recover myself."

"She's using you. I don't know what for, but she is."

"And Artemis isn't? She makes me do _everything_ for you, which I'd be fine with, but _every single night_ she's in my dreams, either beating me up or forcing me to relive my time with Hades. Every. Single. Fucking. Night." Percy snarled, a small portion of pent up pain and suffering and anger and agony getting through, "Then she pretends she likes me. Kisses me, even, all so that the next time it hurts so much more. Do you know how fucked up that is?"

Lily actually took a step back from the ferocity in Percy's voice.

"Every day, worked to unconsciousness, and every night tortured. I wake up in my own bed with no idea how I get there and I figure, "Hey, maybe Artemis brought me back here. Maybe she actually cares for me." Then she walks in, throws me the list of chores, and leaves again." Percy took a few deep breaths -but he didn't calm down. "I could leave now. Run all the way to Lyra. She'd take me in and you know it."

"I could stop you." Liliana narrowed her eyes, her hunting knives appearing on her belt -but Percy's dagger was pressed against her abdomen.

"And I could gut you." Percy laughed hollowly, "What a pair we are. You can't kill me. I can see it in your eyes, the same way I could see whether Hades was going to beat me. I can kill you, though. I'm already dead, my body just doesn't know it yet. Lyra doesn't work me to death. Lyra doesn't torture me. Artemis did both, and what do I get for it? A tent? I'm not allowed to do anything unless Artemis tells me too. You know what? Fuck Artemis. Fuck all of the gods. Demeter's the only reason I'm still here, and I still need to repay her for everything she's done for me."

"I'll tell Artemis about Lyra." Liliana threatened.

"And I'll tell her about Hydrus." countered the son of Poseidon, "Lyra's told me all about you. _Sister_."

Lily was struck by a sense of deja vu -this was the same as the conversation with Lyra. Thankfully, Lycaon had sent her to keep track of the Hunt, so she had free reign after killing her partner.

Percy definitely didn't have the skill Lyra had, but he had the drop on the daughter of Poseidon and the will to carry it through -along with a death wish. Besides, Liliana _might_ be able to talk her way out of her affair with Hydrus -but Percy? It was a death sentence for him. And he _was_ her favorite brother.

"Lily?" Artemis poked her head inside the tent, "Lycaon'll get suspicious if you don't make the report. And what are you doing here, Percy?"

In an instant, Percy turned back into the dull and emotionless servant -though now Liliana didn't know if it was the truth or a mask.

"I was showing Lady Liliana this dagger." he said, lying through his teeth.

"I'll go make the report now." Lily walked out, leaving Percy and Artemis alone.

"Percy, I'm ordering you to stay in your tent tomorrow the whole day. No working, and eat these when you wake up." Artemis passed over the herbs Chiron had given her. Yesterday was _supposed_ to be the day, but there was never a good opportunity to hand them over.

"Yes, Lady Artemis."

"Good. Continue the chores and go back to your tent at no later than nine o' clock."

-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-

Percy swore bitterly as he opened his eyes in Artemis' tent. Now was the time for her to act all nice and friendly, and he would fall for it like he did every time.

Artemis sat up from her bed as she always did, looking cute even with her hair messed up from sleeping. Like she always did.

She sat up and took a brush from her nightstand, running it through her hair before getting to her feet and walking over. Like she always did.

This is where each dream became unique.

She spread a map over the desk she was sitting at, showing the last known positions of each skeleton horde.

"What do you see in this, Percy?"

Percy looked at the map, "We're all clumped up. Hades is using that to destroy our homes while we can't defend them while sticking close to the two major entrances to his realm. He could have millions of skeletons down in the Underworld, just waiting for us."

Artemis nodded; She had come to that conclusion as well, so Percy would know it in this dream.

"So how do we defeat him?"

Percy thought for a moment, "We have to bind his powers. To do that, we would need to sneak into his palace and tie him up in Celestial Bronze before he noticed us."

"But his palace is as close to impregnable as it gets. The only way would be to fight our way to the front entrance, and that's impossible considering the number of skeletons he might have." Artemis shook her head, "I don't think we can win this, Perseus."

Artemis' silver eyes met Percy's sea-green ones, and the son of Poseidon felt an overwhelming urge to comfort the goddess. He put a hand on her shoulder, "We can. We just don't know how yet."

The goddess closed her eyes, turning away, "Why do I like you, Percy? How can you comfort me when my Hunters can't? They just agree with whatever I say. Why have I fallen for you?"

Then that happens, every single dream, and every single dream, it ends in one of two ways: Where she kisses him, or where she beats him to death. It was the flip of a coin, every night.

Artemis turned back to him, "This is a dream, so I can whatever the Hades I want."

She pulled Percy close, and kissed him hard. Forcefully, as if taking what she wanted from his lips and heart.

-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-

Percy jerked upwards, touching a hand to his lips. If only he had his journal, he would write it down -but the book was still missing.

From his pocket he took out a little baggie of "herbs" that Chiron had supposedly given Artemis to give to him. Like he'd ever trust her.

Lyra said the gods were treacherous. Percy didn't know just how much until now.

It would be just like her to poison him and make his life hell in the real world too. Still, maybe the denizens of the "Prison" could help him.

For the second time in his life, he took out the tent marked "Prison." It didn't look like anything special, but the son of Poseidon knew better than to expand it in here.

Artemis would walk in any second now . . .

"What's that?" asked the goddess, gesturing to the tent in his hand.

"I forgot to return it yesterday, Lady Artemis." Percy replied, "With your leave, may I return it?"

"Yes, but return straight here afterwards. Chiron sentenced you to a day of bed-rest." Artemis ordered him.

Like hell. It was Saturday, and he was meeting with Lyra. He'd be bringing the Prison with him. Still, it would be better if he knew what was inside first, so he snuck away and threw down the little square.

The actual tent was solid grey, with no outside markings. But inside . . . inside it was freezing cold, gray stone walls, ceiling, and floor, with a heavy wooden door reinforced by Celestial Bronze only a few meters from him.

Warning, a sign said, Do talk to, touch, or otherwise interact with the prisoners without the permission of Lady Artemis.

Percy smirked, opening the door and walking down a long, stone staircase until he reached a single hallway.

The first cell was a cage of Celestial Bronze, and there was an old man crumpled on the ground wearing a toga. He was emaciated, and it looked like he wrapped the toga around himself to keep warm.

The son of Poseidon kept going. There were twelve cells in all, and ten of them were filled, one emaciated corpse apiece. Some were male, some female.

"Hello." said a man's voice in Ancient Greek.

Percy spun, looking into the cell he just passed. A man was standing there, a man separate from the corpse. He was tall, taller than Percy and handsome, handsome as a man could be. He wore a _chiton_ that ended above his knees, exposing handsome legs as well.

"Might I inquire as to what year it is?" he asked, still in Ancient Greek, "How long as it been since the Visigoth sacked Rome?"

"Umm. A really, really long time. More than a thousand years." Percy said. He was _pretty_ sure Rome was conquered before the Middle Ages.

The man sighed, "And still she sees it fit to keep us down here."

"Who are you?"

"You haven't heard of us, demigod? We, we are the Erotes! People worshiped us! People sacrificed to us! Has our absence made the world barren of love?" asked the man, distressed.

"Where did you come from?"

"The man's body. He carried me well and allowed me to continue my work as the Hunt chased us. He refused to give up until I finished." the man sighed, looking at the corpse. "I will always remember you, my friend."

"Your work?"

"Ah, of course! A powerful weave of the Mist, oh so powerful!" The man spoke proudly, a great accomplishment this was too him, "We knew Artemis was hunting us down, one by one, to stop us from leading her Hunter's astray, despite the fact that it wasn't our fault they had found love. After Pothos was captured, Eros knew we needed a plan. So we worked, weaving the Mist to ensure that love will always be alive! One after another we fell to Artemis and her Hunters, and I was the last. I finished my work as my host held them off, and so we sacrificed for love."

The man smiled, "But you are no Hunter; Let me not burden your thoughts with tales of our suffering at the hands of that witch. Come, come, free us and we will find you the one who your heart yearns for! If not, please touch me. Companionship is so fragile down here, as is news of the world outside. If you touch me, I can see what has happened in my absence."

The man stretched his hand out between the bars. It seemed oddly see-through, as if it wasn't truly there.

"Ah, you have noticed. We Erotes are spirits, and have no corporeal form. We must merge with another to influence the world around us." the man's hand still stuck out between the bars, "I can understand why you might be hesitant; The sign at the top says not to touch us, correct? But you cannot touch something that isn't there, can you?"

"I don't think so?" Percy asked, confused but reaching his arm out anyways. It felt like like a freezing spot of air in an already frozen room.

That's when the man disappeared.

 _Hello. Perseus Jackson?_

Percy's eyes widened, "How did you . . . what?"

 _You shouldn't of touched me. Now I have merged with you, but I can see our goals align. You may not have realized it, but you were just as much of a prisoner here as I was._

Images flashed through Percy's head, memories of him doing the chores -but this time, the spirit highlighted how Artemis was always watching him.

 _You don't need to speak out loud, either. Just let your thoughts flow with mine._

 _Why should I trust you?_ Percy thought.

 _Because we share a common enemy. Ah, Lyra. I met her once. It is good too see you love her truly. And a burgeoning affection for Artemis as well . . . you will be a very interesting host for one of us_. _Let us start with introductions: I am Hymen, the spirit of weddings and wedding songs._

 _I'm Perseus. Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon and Servant of the Hunt._ Replied the demigod.

 _Nice to meet you. I bear no hostile intent to yourself or Lyra or any of those you care for, excluding Artemis._

Percy frowned. _I don't care about Artemis._

 _If you say so. Could you release the rest of us?_

 _What'll happen?_

 _We will all take refuge in your heart, then the one of us most suited to you will linger while the rest transfer themselves to your skin -to be passed on to another host_.

 _Oh._ Percy thought _. What'll happen to me after?_

 _We're spirits of love and lust. What do you think? Other than more sexual advantages, the strength of the spirit or spirits inhabiting you gets added to your own, and you will always have someone to give you advice. With your loves, you'll need it. Also, when one of us merges with you, your personalities will become one. Like their attributes and yours are averaged, except for what I've already said._

 _I've never . . . gone that far with a girl._ Percy shifted awkwardly.

 _We can change that, if you wish_. _If not, no matter. We must spread our influence to the rest of the world and stop these disgusting new fashions. Women dressing like that . . . it's degrading both to them and us._

 _So you don't want to overthrow Olympus?_ Percy asked, just to make sure.

Hymen made a disgusted sound _, Who would want that? Too much work. Our place is serving Aphrodite and spreading love throughout the world. There is entirely too much unrest at this time._ _They should be making love, not war._

 _Okay._

 _Great!_ Hymen cheered.

Percy walked across the cells, absorbing them one at at time until they were all free.

 _Hmm. You are a strong one,_ said a female voice, _do you have any way of burying the body of my host?_

This sparked a discussion between the spirits, until they all agreed that they needed to give their hosts some sense of closure. Thankfully, it turned out the key was just hidden formerly out of reach of the spirits, and it didn't take long with the strength of ten spirits/spiritesses to burying the long-dead former hosts of the Erotes.

 _It appears that I am the most suited to you, Perseus_ , said another male voice, _I am Himeros, the spirit of sexual desire._

 _Hey._ Percy replied _, So what's the plan?_

 _You are meeting Lyra soon, I believe._ Himeros said, _One of us, likely Philotes, will take her as a host as well, while another, Hedyloges would be the best, will take Resuza. Reyna and Hylla would be very useful to our cause, as would Frank and the leader of Camp Half-Blood after Clarisse left. The Stoll brothers, you say?_

 _Not gods?_

 _Gods would be entirely useless to our cause. They are much to proud to work with a spirit._

 _Okay. I have to go now, so . . . wait, you're inside me. Never mind. I'm just leaving now._ Percy said, walking up the stairs and out the door. The Prison shrank into a square again, tucked into Percy's pocket as he went to the meeting-place Lyra had designated. It wasn't an actual place, rather five-hundred feet west and half that north of the Hunt's camp. It changed every week.

"Has the Hunt treated you well?" Lyra asked, stepping out from the forest.

 _Remember, you need to touch her. I'll coach you through it._ Himeros said, _Say this: The usual, but it's good to see you again._

"The usual," Percy shrugged, "but it's good to see you again."

 _Where's Resuza?_

"Where's Resuza?" asked the demigod.

"She'll be along later. For now, defend yourself." Lyra drew a shortsword, and Percy drew Riptide and Annabeth's dagger.

 _Must you fight?_ asked the spirit. _Don't say that out loud._

 _Yep._

 _Fine. Don't let on that you're stronger now_.

Percy blocked a strike at his head, letting it slide off the dagger while he cut at the werewolf, but she just slapped it away.

They dueled back and forth for minutes, Himeros helpfully offering tips and reminding him where objects he might accidentally trip over were.

Percy lunged, throwing himself forward, but Lyra sidestepped and the son of Poseidon toppled to the grassy earth.

Lyra straddled him, but the demigod rolled to face upward and grabbed her bare wrist before she could pin him.

Just like that, the spirits flooded her mind.

Percy watched as her expression changed from shock to disbelief to shock again, finally settling on acceptance.

"After I transfer the spirits to Resuza, she'll pick one and give the rest back to you." said the werewolf, standing, "Philotes has stayed with me. My brother will be coming soon to search your mind, and that will be enough for another spirit to inhabit him."

Percy nodded, and a few minutes later Resuza stepped into the clearing, rushing over to hug Lyra.

Then her mind was overwhelmed as well from the eight remaining Erotes.

 _She seems fine with this._ Himones said, _She will make a suitable host for Hedyloges._

 _Good_. Percy replied, then Resuza stepped forward and took his hand. The seven remaining unclaimed spirits rushed into Percy, and the werewolf, the Hunter, and the Servant all looked at each other.

"Umm, what now?" Resuza asked the spiritess in her mind. Usually, a spirit bonded with the same gender, although it wasn't always, "Oh, I don't have to speak out loud? Okay."

"Now we wait for Hydrus." Lyra stated calmly, "Eros will be a good fit for him, then we continue our plans."

* * *

 **A/N: This has been cooking in my head: How to have Percy smart enough to cheat on three very smart ladies without any of them knowing? With some help, of course!**

 **The Erotes:**

 **Eros, spirit of love and sexual desire. The strongest Erotes.**

 **Hymen, spirit of weddings and wedding songs.**

 **Philotes, spiritess of affection and minorly sexual intercourse.**

 **Hedyloges, spiritess of sweet talk and flattery.**

 **Hermaphroditus, spirit of hermaphrodites and effeminate (gay, in this case) men.**

 **Pothos, spirit of sexual longing/yearning/want.**

 **Himeros, spirit of sexual desire.**

 **Anteres, spirit of requited love/avenger of unrequited love.**

 **Peithe, spiritess of seduction.**

 **Ganymede, spirit of homosexuality.**

 **Yes, they're supposed to be gods, and yes, some of them are supposed to be male that in this story are female, and yes, I left out Pan because he's gone. For now, at least. Guess who's going to each character?**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: More war, though I think I'll end it next chapter. Most of the pieces have fallen for the rest of the storyline.**

* * *

Chapter 14-

It was past nightfall when Percy snuck back into camp, waiting for the shift change of Hunters to slip by undetected. Hydrus had been taken over in an instant, and now the six remaining spirits of love were waiting for their hosts. One of them would take Thalia, then the five remaining would go to Hylla, Reyna, Frank, and the Stoll brothers. It was a good plan; Lyra and her spirit had hammered out the details and would tell him next time they met.

He didn't expect Artemis to be standing in the center of his tent, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently.

"I ordered you to stay in your tent, Percy." she growled, "What are you doing?"

Percy felt the emotionless mask come over his face again as he slipped into the persona of the Hunt's Servant. "I was collecting wildflowers, Lady Artemis."

"And _why_ , pray tell, were you collecting wildflowers?"

"I was ordered to, Lady Artemis."

The goddess nodded, "Very well."

She left and Percy unwound, collapsing on the bed and falling into a deep sleep. Not dreamless, however. Far from it.

-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-

Percy opened his eyes to see himself being whipped by Hades himself. This time, though, there was a person next to him that wasn't Artemis.

Himeros was a tall man, physically perfect with a warm, loving smile that he turned on Perseus. His host wouldn't have to deal with these dreams if he could help it.

"Look at me, Perseus." he intoned, charmspeak coloring an already rich voice.

Percy's head turned and beheld the angel among men that was a spirit of love given form.

He held out a hand, and took Percy from the room, far away.

"This is still _your_ dream, Perseus. That makes it mine as well." Himeros said, leading Percy to an empty room -the layout of Hades' fortress hadn't changed in the last few hundred years. A wave of his hand and there was a flawless white bed in the center of the room.

Percy was shuddering, his own screams echoing in her ears as he remembered being whipped.

Himeros effortlessly hoisted him onto the bed, putting earplug in the demigod's ears before summoning a chair for himself, "Sleep, Perseus. Sleep deeply, without the troubles of your past. Let my voice guide you into the formless infinite, the dreamless unconsciousness that you have yearned for. Let it guide you away from the torture of others and the treacherous goddess. Let it make your eyes close and you breathing slow until you see naught but the shapeless layers of a dreamless sleep."

On the bed, Percy was snoring softly, a little drool leaking from the side of his mouth.

Himeros stood, summoning a handkerchief to wipe off the spittle.

"Hmm. You drool when you sleep." He chuckled, "No host is perfect, I suppose."

Then he stepped outside, the door disappearing into the wall -let Artemis try and find him now.

The spirit strode through the dark hallways of Hades' citadel before going back to the whipping chamber. Perseus was still there, screaming as the skin of his back was shredded. Artemis looked on, still horrified as every other night there was a new technique used on her Servant, a new tool or even just a new level of brutality. It was a wonder Percy even survived.

Himeros, for his part, looked on impassively. He absorbed Perseus' words, how he screamed, how he reacted to each lick of the whip. It was his job to understand his host, and no clearer baring of one's soul came than when he or she was pushed past all the limits of their body.

Perseus' arms and legs were broken in a dozen different places, his back more blood than skin. His fingers were shattered, his jaw broken. But he didn't beg for death. Hades lifted his sword -with a key in the hilt- and asked him if he wanted to die, but Percy never gave in. It was a crude sort of defiance -Percy still had something to live for, but he didn't seem to want to escape Hades' blows.

The spirit sneered at Artemis' form, her angry face and horrified expression. She probably didn't notice half of the things he did.

Soon enough, _she_ would be _Percy's_ servant.

-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-

Percy woke up peacefully for the first time in months.

 _You're awake. Good_. Himeros said. _I believe we're moving again today._

 _Thanks for yesterday night_.

 _No problem. No one deserves to be tortured like that, much less relive the memory every other night. Artemis will pay for that._

 _She'd better_. The demigod swung his legs from the bed, feeling golden. Not Imperial Golden, though. He was still a ways off from that.

Himeros was correct -they were moving out, and would engage Hades' army by midday.

Not that Percy would be fighting. Who would trust the man who put the whole Ares cabin in the hospital?

Zeus certainly didn't.

‡—-‡—-‡—-‡—-XXXXX-—‡-—‡-—‡-—‡

Artemis narrowed her eyes; The skeleton horde looked a little _too_ open. There was barely a semblance of military formation, and the flags of five two undead generals and three Furies.

Then half a dozen roars shook the world as six drakons charged from the forest, six engines of destruction barrelling straight at the surprised -if skeletons were capable of that- army. Bones were snapped beneath massive armored feet, crushed between dagger-like teeth, or melted by the acid that spewed from their mouth.

Harpies and storm spirits swooped down on the skeleton's turned backs, and Olympus went to war.

Monsters and demigods charged, ramming into the undead troops with the confidence of heavily outnumbering their enemy. The troops of the sea -Cyclopses and mermen, mostly- hit the other side of the horde, following in the breach the drakons created.

Then things started going wrong. A bolt of blue light arced out from the center of the horde, vaporizing two of the drakons. Again and again it fired, both into the ranks of monsters and finishing off the last of the drakons.

Artemis narrowed her eyes even further, picking out Poseidon's Trident right underneath Rommel's banner. She scowled, "Hunters! Volley on the eagle! Two . . . one!"

A flight of silver arrows raced over the skeleton horde, forcing Nico to duck angrily. He didn't know why Will volunteered to hold Rommel's banner -it certainly made a big target.

Unknown to them, Rommel wasn't there anymore. Under the cover of darkness, he and the troops under his command snuck away.

Casting her gaze around the battlefield, Athena smiled triumphantly. The troops of Hades were surrounded and cut off from any form of retreat, to be smashed into pieces by the combined force of monsters, demigods, and nature spirits. The pity was she couldn't take part in the fighting.

That's when Rommel arrived -and arrived in force. His thousand skeletons slammed into the weakest link of the chain -the minor gods. Athena had placed them with Camp Half-Blood on one side and Camp Jupiter and the Hunt on the other to shore up the weak force -but she wasn't expecting them to be attacked from behind.

The line fell apart as Rommel's men pierced it in a dozen places, scattering the minor gods like leaves in the wind.

Athena looked murderous with rage; How did a mere son of _Hades_ outwit her?

Artemis led the Hunters to split Rommel's horde apart, but it wasn't enough. There were no more brilliant tactics here, no stunning moves. Now the battle was a slaughter, and Thanatos watched from high above -he stayed neutral in every conflict. After all, Death was universal . . . . . Just like chocolate.

Eventually, the superior numbers of the mixed monster-Olympus force began to tell, the noose tightening around the mob of skeletons. Dust, bones, and blood made footing uneven, but the majority of the Hunt had done this before. Some of the Greek campers couldn't handle it, but no one blamed them. Monsters, demigods, and nature spirits alike screamed and died -the dead didn't scream as their bones were crushed, but crushed they were.

Percy watched it all through the lenses of a pair of binoculars Lyra had lent him, seeing Artemis duck and spin as she defeated skeleton after skeleton, fighting her way through the horde. He watched a Greek slip in the blood and fall, then was ran through by a skeleton's spear. This wasn't a nice, clean battle between demigods and monsters; This wasn't an epic clash of armies, either. This was war, and war is hell.

Lyra was watching as well, though much closer to the battlefield. Her sight was reserved for Resuza, and Resuza alone. If her "daughter" was injured, she was charging in with swords drawn -consequences be damned.

Hydrus crawled up next to the son of Poseidon, "Eros says he'd rather be on the battlefield."

Himeros snorted, _He would. He was always the most violent of us. This kind of slaughter is the evil that the gods produce, Perseus._ _Soon there must be a new person on the throne of Olympus, or the council will tear itself apart._

He looked at the battlefield through Percy's eyes. _This is horrible. Lives are wasted for no purpose but a grudge between two gods, yet the gods themselves don't show their faces. War is always like this, the ones who care for others slaughtered by people just like them, while the ones who can coldly barter life like this look down on them, safe behind the lines._

"Himeros doesn't like this." Percy replied, "Why aren't the werewolves here?"

Hydrus snorted, "Lycaon isn't an idiot. He knows not to join either side of this -not Hades, 'cause he's gonna be smashed flat, and not Zeus 'cause the Hunters'll kill us all. So he's hunting down Lupa's wolves and taking her apart. Once they're gone, we'll attack the Hunt."

"And just so you know, if you break Lyra's heart, I'll break your neck." the werewolf was suddenly much more threatening, "She's worth way more than you."

Percy scowled but kept silent.

 _Don't worry, Perseus. Hydrus just doesn't like that Lyra kissed you before he could size you up._ Himeros said helpfully, _Take it from the expert -have a thick skin for Hydrus, and go along with whatever Lyra wants._

 _Okay._ Percy thought back. _Are you sure you're okay with most of the Hunt being killed?_

 _I told you already, once we merge our goals align. Whatever we do, we_ both _thought up. If you're fine with it, I am as well._

 _Oh . . . I remembered that._

 _I'm sure_. Himeros replied, amusement coloring his voice. It was so easy to ignore the war going on almost two miles away. _Hydrus is poking through your mind, by the way. Well, trying to. I'm feeding him a lot of useless memories of mine._

 _Thanks._

Hydrus frowned -after the failed attempt last time they met, Lyra had asked him to try again. But all he could find was memories of staring at a cell wall or talking to a previous host.

Percy turned to look at him, "If you want to know something, just ask."

The werewolf scowled, "Fine. Lyra wanted to know why sometimes you seem dull and emotionless and other times you're normal."

"I have two souls. Kind of." Percy shrugged, "It's weird, but something like one soul has the memories of me growing up and you know, being normal for the most part, and the other just has . . . umm . . ."

 _A little help here, Himeros?_

 _Your other self has the memories of being tortured by Hades._

 _I was tortured by Hades?!_

 _Yes, you were._

"And the other has memories of being tortured by Hades."

Hydrus nodded slowly, "Mind if I take a peek?"

"Fine."

‡—-‡—-‡—-‡—-XXXXX-—‡-—‡-—‡-—‡

Artemis ducked an axe, skewering it's owner through the skull before tearing her knife out. The skeleton fell, but another took it's place.

Then the crowd of fighters to either side surged, separating the two for a minute.

The Hunters were doing well; The newer ones were dragging older, wounded Hunters off the battlefield and helping Huiliang and Celyn give first aid. Some of them, probably a good number of them, would be dead after this battle. She could only hope it would be worth their sacrifice.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she could start to make out Triton on the other side of the field. Aphros was right beside him, swinging his broadsword with amazing strength and knocking enemies aside wherever he went -why he taught humanities, Artemis had no idea.

Chiron, like the Hunters, had set up a triage area with Asclepius and his daughters. Apollo was also present, with Paean making sure he doesn't mess up. Most of the minor gods were there after Rommel's attack, along with a few dozen Greeks and even some Romans, all groaning in pain or silent in death.

None of the Hunters were there -they'd end up skewering Apollo halfway through, even if he wasn't the one treating them. The Hunt, in general, got along with Chiron and Asclepius -some of the older ones knew his daughters well- but they would still rather have Celyn treat them. It wasn't the best system, but it worked and that's all that mattered.

Artemis snarled, "Rommel."

The German smiled, speaking fluent English -even if it was heavily accented, "Lady Artemis. It is pleasing to finally make your acquaintance. I must say, you and your Hunt gave me much trouble in Africa."

"We're good at that." she drew her knives and Rommel sighed, slinging a shield from his back and drawing a short spear.

Artemis charged, but Rommel knocked her arms aside with his shield and drove the butt of his spear into her ribs. The goddess took a step back; He was good, almost as good as a few of her Hunters.

Nowhere near as good as she was.

They fought back and forth, Artemis' flashing knives opening cuts all over his body until he made a disastrous mistake. He stepped a foot too far back, hitting a patch of blood and slipping. Artemis lunged, burying the knives in his throat. Blood, red blood, ran down the blades as the goddess lifted him, yanking a knife out and plunging it through his heart.

With his heart pierced, his jugular cut, and his vocal cords destroyed so he couldn't even scream, Erwin Rommel choked on his last breath. Blood ran out of his mouth, staining Artemis' parka and auburn hair.

Artemis threw the body down, her knives coming out with a wet _shlick_. Across the battlefield, Triton faced off with Hermann Balck, the best German general no one had ever heard of.

Balck wielded two short spears while Triton used a trident and net -like Artemis and Rommel, they weren't evenly matched in the slightest.

The German charged, trying to overwhelm the son of Poseidon with a barrage of short thrusts, but Triton gave way and swung his net. It landed perfectly, trapping Balck's right arm.

Triton lunged, his trident sinking into his opponent's body. Much like Artemis, he lifted the German into the air before drawing a dagger and plunging it into Balck's throat. He would take no chances. Blood ran down the Sea Prince's arms, a stark contrast to the sea-green armor that he wore.

The Furies flew away as well, one at a time, and without them the skeleton horde lost it's formation. No longer did they fix breaches in their lines, no longer did they counter-attack against their enemy. They still fought, but with the single-minded purpose of killing.

It wasn't much longer before they were completely destroyed, their bones ground into meal and their equipment scattered across the field.

In the center, Artemis turned to her Hunters, "Good job. Thalia . . . Pheobe, lead them back to camp. I'll be at a council."

Then she flashed away, leaving Pheobe to rally the Hunt and lead them away. When they got to the triage, Celyn was treating Thalia for a huge cut across her stomach while Huiliang was bandaging Baccina where a lucky arrow caught her right arm.

Pheobe was spotless save for the blood and dust of monsters and demigods, along with two others. The rest either had light injuries or were groaning in pain on Celyn's stretchers.

"Is there anyone we can't move?"

Celyn slowly shook her head, almost unconscious from using far too much of her father's powers.

"Naomi, you're on funeral detail. Take as many as you need to carry them all." Pheobe ordered, "Everyone else pair up and take a stretcher."

The assembled Hunters nodded, the adrenaline of battle leaving their systems. It was time to give one, final effort and take their wounded and dead sisters to camp. There would be a lot of graves to dig.

‡—-‡—-‡—-‡—-XXXXX-—‡-—‡-—‡-—‡

When Artemis entered the command tent, Hecate had just left. The problem was, her new map still didn't show the armies in LA.

Athena pointed to the map, "As you can see, the banner that was trying to reached these five has retreated into the Underworld."

"Or it's being hidden from the map as well." Ares growled.

"We haven't retrieved the Trident from this battlefield, either. It was likely shadow-traveled into the Underworld again. From Ares' report, the number of minor gods still able to fight is now three after Rommel's attack."

"Rommel?" Aphrodite asked, filing her nails.

Everyone ignored her, "We have confirmed kills of every enemy commander present today, save for Nico di Angelo and the Furies."

"He has a habit of surviving." Artemis commented, "First in the Labyrinth, then in Tartaurus, then Rome, and now here."

"Your point is?"

"My point is he can shadow-travel in the middle of the day, has the Trident, and has a level of power equal or even surpassing Jason Grace, my Lieutenant, or even Perseus Jackson." the Goddess of the Hunt replied, "We must make him a priority."

"He is a minor threat compared to Hades." Athena turned her gaze to Zeus, "Speaking of which, today cannot be considered a victory. For every life, there are generations of the dead, and Hades most likely has millions of skeletons just _waiting_ in the Underworld. This cost him nothing."

"What do you propose?" Zeus asked.

"If we could assembled a team of the best demigods and legacies, and have them sacrifice the Ophiotaurus-"

The King cut her off, "No! I will not allow a demigod to have to power to kill gods!"

Athena gritted her teeth, "We'd have to fight our way to New York, somehow stop Hades from using Orpheus' Passage as a bottleneck, take on his armies in their homeland, and lay siege to his impregnable fortress."

"Nothing's ever impregnable." Artemis stepped in, siding with Zeus in speech. In truth, she had defied him more often than not, but retained the "favorite daughter" title purely because she supported Zeus whenever there was a council.

Athena glared at her, "There is _no way_ we can win this! Zero chance. Sacrificing the Ophiotaurus is our only choice!"

"Then get us _another_ choice." Zeus growled.

Finally, the goddess submitted, "I'll start drawing up plans. In the meantime, I would suggest we take tomorrow to rest and bury our dead."

"Granted. Council dismissed."

Aphrodite immediately pulled Ares into a deep kiss, and they flashed away -no doubt keen to celebrate the "victory" that Ares took no part in. Hephaestus scowled at the empty air -even at war, she could still find ways to cheat on him- before flashing away as well. Athena disappeared to start coordinating the march to New York while Hermes ran off to collect casualty lists -there would be a lot of them.

Only one of them thought of the people who died as more than numbers on a list. Only one would truly mourn her fallen. Only one would truly bury her dead.

Artemis flashed away, dreading the task that was ahead of her.

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The goddess always tried to distance herself, always tried to stay coldly logical when she heard the list of the dead. It never worked in all of her immortal life.

"Tamara, Terry, Tyse, Ulyana, Uma, Vanessa, Valerie, Violet, Yadria, Yasha, Zahara, Zaida." Pheobe recited, the last of a long, long list. Sixty-one Hunters in all. Not far off from a third of the Hunt.

"Get them . . . Get them ready. And call Athena . . . we'll need her." Artemis closed her eyes, tears leaking from them despite her best efforts, "You will _pay_ , Hades. Even if I have to cut you apart _myself_."

"You'll have to get in line, my lady." Pheobe growled before leaving.

The Hunter's graveyard shifted places as the focus of Western Civilization changed, just like Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. It's location, even it's existence, was one of the best-kept secrets in the world. Artemis had used many favors in the past to make the gods swear oaths on the Styx never to talk about it, or write anything down.

It was worth it, though. This was Artemis' sacred ground, which no male could tread on. Thus, it was Athena who help Artemis flash all the Hunters, bodies of Hunters, and other materials they needed to hold a proper funeral.

Three or four Hunters dug a grave together. Though it would've been more efficient, they never dug graves before hand -an unspoken agreement that if you didn't prepare for the inevitable, you could pretend it would never happen. There were no _prothesis_ or _ekphora_ -parades like that were just wasted effort and didn't, in fact, help the soul journey to the Underworld.

One by one the bodies were lowered into the freshly dug graves, and above them some of their closest friends said short eulogies. They didn't have any time to prepare speeches -Artemis was a firm believer in that anything meaningful was said straight from the heart. You shouldn't need thirty minutes to describe your closest friend.

Bowls of _chaoi_ were placed at the foot of each grave -along with a lock of hair from the eulogy-sayers,- then the entire Hunt muttered a short prayer to the one who died. Following that _enagismata_ were put at the top of the grave, then they placed a _drachma_ or _denarius_ in the dead Hunter's pocket; After the first few Hunters died, they found it wasn't dignified to _literally_ cough up a coin for Charon.

This was all done for a purpose, of course. The _chaoi_ and _enagismata_ strengthened the spirit and guided it to DOA Recording Studios, while the lock of hair gave the Hunter something to remember the living world with. The prayer helped the spirit when they were getting judged -and no Hunter failed to get into Elysium yet. The coin, of course, was to pay Charon to poll them across the Underworld.

When they got back to camp, afternoon had came and past a long time ago, and it was approaching midnight. But the Hunt's day wasn't over yet.

They held a feast -which the dead Hunters supposedly hosted in gratitude of the ritual. In reality, it was to distract the living Hunters from the loss, and Artemis did her best to do just that. But all the strange, wonderful, exotic, or homely dishes she summoned couldn't do more that take their minds off of the loss for a few minutes.

It wasn't very feast-y, all things considered.

They didn't know Hades had sentenced all enemy combatants to Punishment.

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The next morning, Athena rubbed her eyes wearily. In front of her were the lists of the dead, retrieved by Hermes the night before.

Most of the minor gods were out of commission for the next week at least, but they would live. Out of the nearly fifteen-thousand troops they had this morning, they had lost some three point five thousand.

Three point four five eight, her mind corrected idly. Twenty-three point oh five three percent.

They got off easily this time -next time, Athena would be betting they would have a _much_ larger force to deal with.

She looked up to see the rest of her workplace. Her sons and daughters -eleven of them, now- were all working with her.

They each had layouts of Hades' fortress-palace, but so far none of them had a good idea of how to actually _breach_ the fortress. Stones from a catapult would just bounce off the palace's Stygian Iron plating, and Greek Fire would hardly do squat.

The foundation was solid rock -the whole Underworld was, really- so there was no way to sapper; Siege ladders would be hell since most monsters didn't have the appendages necessary to scale them, and siege towers would be near impossible to construct and take down there. Any battering ram would just crack against the Stygian Iron gates, unable to do any damage whatsoever. In all of her immortal life, Athena had never met anyone who even _mentioned_ the possibility of a secret entrance to his palace -it just didn't exist.

Hades was paranoid his whole life, and it was coming up in his favor now. His palace was designed to withstand a siege, and he only increased it's ability to do so over the centuries. His troops didn't need food, couldn't catch any disease, and could defend twenty-four/seven. His walls were bristling with weapons, and his walls were crowded with troops. His secret entrance was so well-hidden that few even knew it existed, and fewer still were alive to tell the tale.

It was the problem Athena and her children had been banging their heads against from the start of the entire campaign, and it looked more unsolvable with each passing day.

Their best chance, they all agreed, was to somehow force Hades to get directly involved, then use Zeus' bolt to tear a hole in the palace. It wouldn't be easy -a god's symbol of power was weakened in another's territory, but with both the Trident and Helm of Darkness, Hades could easily walk out the front door, skewer Zeus, and retreat before the rest of the Olympians could do anything at all.

Malcolm had suggested tearing up as much of the Underworld as possible to weaken Hades, but most of Hades' domain was already a wasteland. Still, it went on the shelf for future reference.

Athena sighed, ending her train of thought for a while, "Let's take a break and get some sleep. It won't do us any good if we start nodding off and lose our thoughts."

Her children nodded, leaving in a group back to their cabin's tent. It was luck and statistical probability that none of them died in the battle -most of the casualties came from the monsters and Sea Denizens, supplemented by the harpies that were shot out of the air.

The campers found their kin burning shrouds of the dead. Connor and Travis. Jake Mason. Lou Ellen. Clovis -though that wasn't really a surprise. Nyssa and Harley from Hephaestus. Drew, Lacy and Mitchell all died together. A good fifth of the Greeks in all.

In Connor and Travis' absence, Clarisse and Chris Rodriguez stepped up to be the leaders of Camp Half-Blood -maybe they'd live to the end of the war. Jason would much rather lead the Greeks on the battlefield then in name.

But Grover was the one everyone cared about. The Lord of the Wild who saved Camp Half-Blood, who defended upper Manhattan -and finally decided to grow his beard out. Now he was a laurel, just like he always dreamed of, and Coach Hedge took up the post of acting lord of the Wild -though he insisted the post be renamed "Lord of Nature".

As for the Romans, Bobby and Larry both died in the chaos among others. Kahale again had to save the eagle -the Twelfth Legion didn't have a very good track record of holding onto it. At least this time there weren't nearly so many casualties. It was a small comfort, but Reyna took what she could get. Frank had almost turned silent since Hazel's death and Arion's subsequent departure -the Praetor couldn't count on him for much.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder what happened to Perseus Jackson. Rumors ranged anywhere from him killing himself to becoming a part of the Hunt -the she didn't believe either of those. It was strange that Percy wasn't here, fighting on the front lines. A few Greeks were responsible for the "joining the Hunt" rumor, and said they saw him fight in New York right next to the Hunters, but that was too ridiculous to believe. Other Greeks said that they remember how Percy shut down after Annabeth's death, and thought he finally commited suicide, but that was ridiculous as well. The Percy she knew wouldn't abandon his friend like that.

Her personal theory was that Pluto had him killed or recruited him. That sort of deviousness seemed right up his alley -perhaps he promised the son of Neptune that Annabeth would be "elevated" to the Isle of the Blest if he did this.

Whatever happened to him, it was bad.

Regardless, the Romans had won.

And that meant a party.

* * *

 **A/N: I get all of my little knowledge on ancient funerals for the source of all knowledge -Wikipedia. So if I get something wrong, sorry.**

 **Please review and give me feedback. I'll need it.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I think that's enough of the Hades War, right? After a while, I'm just choosing who dies each battle and nothing really new happens.**

Chapter 15-

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Moral was low across the armies of Olympus. Predictably, there was _another_ army between them and the Underworld -this one was stronger too.

Drastic measures needed to be taken, and Baccina Machiavelli was just cold-hearted enough to do what needed to be done. After all, what was one son of Poseidon against everyone else? If his sacrifice could win them the war, it was an easy decision to make.

She had watched Perseus Jackson since they day she arrived at camp. Two souls -one hot-blooded, one cold-blooded. She had made sure he knew his history in it's entirety. She knew what reaction he would have if he knew Demeter was captured.

It wasn't very surprising when his grip tightened around the dagger he carried everywhere, and his lips curled in a snarl. This was his hot-blooded soul, presumably.

"Thank you for telling me, Lady Baccina." he growled, "May I return to my chores?"

"Of course." Baccina moved away, knowing beyond all doubt that Percy _wouldn't_ be doing chores.

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 _Hold on, Perseus. What's your plan?_ Himeros asked urgently.

 _I thought you knew everything I was thinking._ Percy thought back, hurrying to his tent and trying to keep down the explosion of tears and rage that was imminent to erupt.

 _I don't. Or else you wouldn't need to project your thoughts to_ me. Percy had a mental image of Himeros' eyes widening. _Di immortals! You don't even_ have _a plan, do you?_

 _I'm going to get Demeter back from Hades._

 _And how do you hope to achieve that? He's ever so slightly immortal._ The spirit said sarcastically.

 _I'll go in through the entrance and get Demeter out_. Percy replied, his voice full of conviction, _She's shown me more love than_ anyone _else. Anyone!_

 _Calm down, Perseus. If we're going to rescue her, we're going to do it right. First, put on Annabeth's Yankees cap. It should get you past most of the guards, but it won't hide you from Hades if he's wearing the Helm of Darkness._ Himeros said, _Second, I need you to dig a hole and fill it with water. It doesn't need to be very big. Say, and inch deep._

Percy did just that, scraping a small, puddle sized hole in the ground and filled it with water. It drained immediately.

 _Try holding it in place_. _You remember Bessie, right_?

The water dissipated as Percy lost his concentration. _No! No no no no no no no._

Himeros sighed, _Which would you rather have, a quick and painless for the Bane of Olympus, or an eternity of suffering for Demeter?_

 _A quick and painless death_. Percy replied immediately, _But Bessie?_

 _This is war. We have to do things that are less than pleasant._ The spirit's voice was laden with regret.

 _I thought you were a pacifist._

 _Which makes it all the more difficult to do what needs to be done._ Percy got the feeling Himeros was shaking his head sadly, _Now, concentrate on Bessie. You're her guardian, so you should be able to summon her despite the fact that Olympus is on lockdown._

But still Percy hesitated, _What will it even do?_

 _The Ophiotaurus was created by Gaea -not spawned from nothing with Chaos- to aid her children in destroying Olympus. And that meant Olympians. The reason Zeus wanted it destroyed is that the Ophiotaurus' power will only have an effect on a non-god. If Zeus sacrificed it, nothing would happen and the threat would be gone._

 _You didn't answer the question._ The son of Poseidon pointed out, annoyed now.

 _Patience, young Padwan. I'll have the watch Star Wars sometime, by the way . . . Anyways, translated roughly into English, the power is, "Thou enemies, be they gods, shall bleed red." I threatened him with his wife walking away unless he told me more, so he said, "The Ophiotaurus gives the person who threw it's entrails into the flames the power to make a god mortal when fighting it -no powers, no immortality, no super-size. It would be draining for a demigod to provide this level of power, but a Giant or Titan would have no trouble whatsoever supplying it."_

 _Then he elaborated to say that the god in only mortal to that one person. The god or goddess could still use their powers against others._

 _Wouldn't it be suicide if I'm exhausted while fighting Hades?_ Percy thought. _Even as a mortal, he'd kill me._

 _Not if I help. Now, summon the Ophiotaurus._

The son of Poseidon concentrated, seeing the serpent-bull on top of the puddle now-reformed. Silently willing it to come to it's guardian.

 _Moo?_

Bessie appeared, about the average size of a male bull with a snake as it's lower half.

 _Do it, Perseus! Now!_

Galvanized by Himeros' shouting, the demigod stabbed Annabeth's dagger deep into it's throat.

"MOOOO!" Bessie screamed and thrashed wildly, breaking most of the little furniture in Percy's tent.

Percy, with all his strength, tore downward with the blade in his hands. He had to make the death as quick as possible. _I thought you said painless, Himeros!_

 _I'm not a proud truth-speaker, Perseus._

Eventually, the screaming and thrashing slowed and stopped, but the body didn't dissolve into ash like most monsters.

 _Now, go to the campfire and bring some back. Change clothes first, those are covered in blood._

Percy drew a few odd looks in his old jeans and t-shirt -they were now too small for his heavily built form, clearly outlining the shifting muscles. The odd looks only increased as he picked up a stick of wood from the fire, but most Hunters decided they had better things to do -mainly, prepare for moving out tomorrow.

 _Light him on fire. Try to keep if from spreading too much._

The stench of burning cow-snake was horrible, filling the tent in it's entirety. Percy threw up against the dome of water he had erected around the fire, failing to hold his breath.

 _Now put it out. Quickly!_

The water splashed down, and steam filled the tent instead.

 _I hope it worked. I need to make a message to someone who owes me a favor, though. Unless you want to walk all the way to New York?_

 _I can't sing._

 _Don't worry about it. Just make a message to Aphrodite._

"Hey. It's Himeros." Percy said into the mist, the spirit inside protecting him from the Goddess of Beauty's influence.

Aphrodite's eyes widened, "Himeros? I thought Artemis had locked you all up . . ."

"More importantly, you promised to make sure the Erotes' work didn't fail. You call this a success?" asked the demigod, being fed lines by the Eros.

"I tried, dear, but I just couldn't resist. It's so much more interesting now-"

"Stop the bullshit and flash us to Central Park. Now. And maybe we'll come back."

"Yes, dear." Aphrodite waved a hand through the message, and the next second Percy was surrounded by green grass, trees, and concrete walkways. In front of him was Orpheus' Passage.

 _Good. Turn left thirty-one degrees and walk forward until you find the street performer. It sounds like a tenor sax. I think. These street performers of yours are certainly interesting._

It wasn't long before he saw the middle-aged man in a fedora, with gems -probably colored glass- woven into his hair. He wore a classy pinstriped suit, and had skin the color of roasted coffee.

The strange thing was it seemed like glowing hieroglyphs were drifting out of his tenor.

"Can I make a request?" Percy asked.

Amos Kane glanced up at the demigod. He could see this one was more than human -and not blood of the pharaohs, either. Perhaps the gods were testing him?

"Of course." he said, pulling the mouthpiece free from his lips, "What would you like?"

"This might seem strange, but can you play a song in front of that pile of rocks over there?"

Amos hesitated -Central Park was one of his favorite places outside of Brooklyn. After becoming Chief Lector, playing his sax in Central Park was one of his favotire passtimes away from the hustle-and-bustle of the First Nome. Besides, Set enjoyed seeing the structured chaos of New York.

"Certainly."

He walked forward, feeling the teenager with the strange aura following him, "Do you have any requests for the tune?"

Himeros was stumped -Percy didn't listen to jazz. _Improvise_.

Percy hesitated, "Anything."

Amos pulled a song out of his extensive repertoire, one of his favorites, and began serenading the pile of rocks in front of him. Only a few seconds later, the teenager turned to him again.

"Thanks. I'm Perseus Jackson." he held out his hand.

"Amos Kane."

Percy gave him a dollar -thankfully, he still had his wallet in this pair of jeans- and disappeared from sight.

Amos furrowed his eyebrows -things around New York just kept getting stranger, it seemed.

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Percy was nervous as he went down Orpheus' Passage. _How do you know there won't be an army coming up?_

 _I'm just hoping we get lucky._

 _That's comforting._

Tyche, it appears, was looking out for him. No army tramping their way up, and Annabeth's hat hid him from the skeleton guards. The palace was just beyond the Fields of Asphodel, but the secret entrance was a hatch right near Tartaurus. No sane god would go anywhere _near_ that place.

Percy opened the hatch -apparently, it still accepted him as Hades' servant and he wasn't the type to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The layout of the palace was deeply engraved in his mind, but strangely, he could clearly remember everything else as well. And not just what Himeros told him happened, it seemed like he had _all_ of his memories.

The door to the throne room was wide open, and Demeter was chained to a chair of Stygian Iron. Impossible to escape without broken wrists and skinned hands at least..

Her eyes widened as Percy took off his hat, "Percy! Get out of here! Hades is-"

Percy never got beyond 'Hades', jumping away from a strike he only imagined was there. Hades laughed, appearing in the center of the throneroom.

"So, my wayward servant has returned at last. I thought about killing you while you tried to rescue my mother-in-law, but I decided to offer you something instead. Give me the Ophiotaurus, summon it now, and I shall let you go."

 _Go with it._

"How do I know you won't just kill me as soon as I summon it?"

"Because you have my word. On the Styx."

 _Don't trust him -he controls the Styx. No oath can bind him, short of a Primordial -and they've all faded anyways._

"Okay. I need a pool of water big enough to summon her in."

 _I'm going to start gathering my power. Once I make Hades mortal, I'll be exhausted. I might need to draw on your strength too, but you have plenty of it._

Hades waved a hand, and an obsidian pit full of water appeared in the floor, "Easily done."

 _I need a little more time._

"Is it salt water?" Percy asked, "I can't summon her in fresh."

The god frowned, "You seem unusually talkative."

The demigod froze; The Lord of the Dead wasn't wrong, "Thalia forced me to talk so much, you wouldn't believe."

"I can imagine. Salt water . . . it is not easy to summon the domain of another god in my own domain. Even if that god is catatonic and nearly faded."

Percy _almost_ lost it, but Himeros held him back for another few seconds.

 _Ready. Three . . . two . . . one!_

The air crackled with power as Hades' blood was made red, his powers bound.

"What is this?!" he growled, looking at his hands before realization hit, "Ah, so the Ophiotaurus has already been sacrificed. Tell me, which Titan did you convince to fight me?"

 _Don't bother . . . replying. I'm . . . taking a nap . . . for now._

Percy lunged forward, Riptide and Annabeth's dagger flashing.

Hades chuckled, drawing his massive Sword, "So you took it into your own hands. Admirable, but that does not prevent me from doing _this_."

The God of the Dead neatly spun to the side, bringing the Sword of Hades down to lightly nick Percy's shoulder. Nothing happened besides the tiniest drop of blood leaking out.

Hades cursed, then turned the key on the hilt of his Sword. A great way to ruin a suspenseful moment.

Percy's memories came back to him unbidden. Persephone's words, to be exact: _The wielder can raise the dead, or slay any living thing and send it's soul to the Underworld with a mere touch of the blade._

Note to self: Avoid the blade.

Demeter struggled with her cuffs, fruitlessly tugging on them.

Riptide was smashed aside by Hades' Sword, but the dagger made the tiniest of nicks on Hades' left arm. Blood, red blood, dripped out. It worked.

Percy stayed on the offensive, hammering strikes into Hades' unyielding defense. The smarter path would've been to stay back and let the god-no-longer tire himself out. The demigod definitely had a superior endurance. That was the kind of advice Himeros might have given him.

But the spirit was sound asleep.

Now the demigod was the one tiring himself out, his efforts futile against the skill of eons. Then Hades shifted the tide of the battle.

Strikes rained down on Percy from every direction, and he used every trick he knew just to keep himself alive. Months of sword-training at Camp Half-Blood, days of experience in the Titan and Giant Wars.

Then Riptide was bashed out of his hands and Hades raised his Sword triumphantly, "It appears I must punish you again, Perseus. Just like old time . . ."

He swung down, and there was the sound of bones breaking and agonized screaming. Percy caught the brutal chop on the crossguard of the dagger, straining against the god.

Hades backed, then lunged. A knife couldn't block that, he knew.

A goddess could.

Demeter threw herself in front of Perseus, now with two broken wrists and no skin on her hands. Her own blood lubricated the the shackles that bound her, but with her wrists the way they were she had no hope of summoning anything else to block the sword.

She was skewered through the ribcage, dying instantly as her soul was sucked into DOA Recording Studios.

Hades growled, twisting his Sword and trying to get it free.

Percy could only think of one thing: Revenge. Revenge for Demeter.

He dashed forward, skewering the god through his black heart.

Hades gasped in pain, falling backwards and reaching for the dagger, but his hands fell away.

"Hear me, servant." he choked out, "With the last of my breath, I curse your friends. Those you love will suffer for any victories you achieve. For everything you gain, you will lose much, much more."

The dying god got to his knees, sucking in a deep breath, "Hear the words of Hades, sea spawn! Any joy you find, the ones you love will pay for! You may have beaten me, but you have lost those you love!"

With the last of his strength, a misty screen appeared. Showing an apartment in New York with Paul and Sally Blofis -they had married half a year ago.

The door broke down, and men with ski-masks broke in with guns and knives.

"There wasn't suppose to be anyone here!" one accused, turning to the leader.

"They won't be here much longer!" the leader replied, "John! Sam! Get 'em!"

Sally reached for a heavy frying pan, but was stabbed through the stomach and left to die. Paul ran for a phone, but another one tackled him into the floor, stabbing him repeatedly.

"You guys, get the TV!" the leader pointed to two members of his gang of robbers, "And find her jewelry box, she looks pretty well off. Get any phones and laptops, too."

Percy was unable to tear his eyes away from the screen as his mother died a slow death -it could take minutes for someone to die from being stabbed in the stomach- and his father-in-law bled into the carpet.

His mind snapped like a wooden support holding too much weight, and it all came crashing down. Beckendorf, Silena, Lee Fletcher, Micheal Yew, Leo. Demeter, Sally, and Paul. . . Annabeth.

So many dead. So much loss. The thin, wooden twig of a support splintered, and those splinters tore into Percy's mind as he screamed, pouring all his pain, all his loss, all his suffering into one primal display of agony.

There wasn't much left of him when he was done. Just an unconscious wreck of a demigod on the floor, devoid of sanity and reason.

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Zeus growled as he felt the shift in the balance of power, domains suddenly released into the wind. Lightning crackled across the sky, summoning the Council of Olympians.

"There has been a change in power. Apollo, has Poseidon faded?"

The healing god shook his head, "Not yet, Pops, but it won't be long. He's on his last legs."

"Then Hades has been killed."

All around the Council, eyes widened and mouths dropped open.

"We must travel to the Underworld." Athena said, "If Hades is dead, we must know what killed him."

Someone else had already beaten them to it, and Nico di Angelo looked at the body of his very much alive crush, "He said you were dead. I guess I'm not surprised he lied to me . . . I suppose this is yours, now."

He rested the Trident against Percy's prone body, and it dissolved into greenish-blue mist, "No offence, but I hope I won't see you for a long time. I think Will and I'll-"

Then the Olympians broke the door down, bursting into the throneroom.

Artemis connected the dots instantly -though wrongly- and drew her bow, turning Nico into a human pincushion of arrows. He fell backwards, gasping and melting into the shadows.

Athena and Zeus were more focused on the bodies of Hades and Demeter, and the still-breathing son of Poseidon.

"What happened, Athena?" Zeus growled.

The goddess stepped closer, examining the bodies, "It appears that Demeter sacrificed herself to protect Perseus. When Hades couldn't withdraw his blade, Perseus stabbed him, killing him somehow."

She crouched next to the Sword of Hades, "There appears to be a key stuck in the hilt."

"Another symbol of power?" asked the King.

"That's one kick-ass sword." Ares grinned nastily, stepping towards it.

"No touching." Athena said sharply, "Only a God of the Dead can touch it directly. Should any part of it touch your bare skin, you will be trapped in the Underworld forever."

Only Aphrodite noticed that Artemis had moved out of the Palace, flashing into Percy's tent and finding exactly what she feared: A half-burned corpse of the Ophiotaurus.

When she returned, Athena had made the same assumption.

"Judging by the color of Hades' blood and the fact that he is, indeed, dead, I believe that the Ophiotaurus has been sacrificed by Perseus."

The air around Zeus crackled dangerously, "He dared to kill an Olympian? We cannot allow a _demigod_ with this power to walk free."

He raised his Bolt, about to erase Perseus from existence,

Artemis stepped between him and the downed son of Poseidon, blocking the shot, "No."

Zeus narrowed his eyes, "What is the meaning of this, daughter?! Did I not order you to keep Perseus from the fighting?!"

"You left me no choice. I ordered Perseus to sacrifice the Ophiotaurus and kill Hades." she replied, lying through her teeth, "He is the only one with the knowledge of where there was a passage into this fortress, the only one with the ability to pass through it. "

"What?! You defy _me_!? I am your father!" Zeus thundered, "You have betrayed _me_ , Artemis!"

"I won't let _any_ Hunters die because _you_ are unwilling to take the solution Athena offered. If I didn't do this, thousands more would die." Artemis stood by the "decision" she had spun up on the spot.

"She speaks the truth, father." Athena added quietly, "Without this, I am unsure of whether we had the ability to win this war."

"Is my whole family conspiring against me?!" Zeus looked to the rest of the Council for support, but found none.

"Who votes to kill Perseus now?" Athena called. Zeus raised his hand, as did Ares and Hera. No one else did. "Who votes to spare him?"

Artemis' hand was the first up, followed by Athena's and Apollo's. After a few seconds, Hephaestus raised his hand as well. Hermes stayed neutral, as did Aphrodite, and Dionysus.

Zeus growled, "Can't you see? This is lunacy! No one can control a demigod with this power!"

Artemis made herself known again, "I can. He is the Servant of the Hunt, and I have custody over him. This vote should not have even _happened,_ in fact. Perseus Jackson follows _my_ orders, and he will continue to do so. He is _my_ responsibility, and _mine_ alone."

Athena nodded in agreement -this fit what she had seen of the mindless, shambling slave, "I concur."

Zeus looked outraged, but could pick up a very well-hidden threat in Artemis' words. _Perseus Jackson follows_ my _orders, and he will continue to do so_.

Artemis could order Perseus to make _him_ mortal. _Him_ , the King of the Gods. The Bolt may be powerful, but it required _his_ powers to become the javelin of lightning. Without that, it was little more than a metal rod.

It was his pride or his life, and Zeus wasn't stupid enough to choose his pride, "Very well. Hephaestus, take the Sword of Hades and lock it away with the Helm of Darkness. The next God of the Dead will decide between the two. Artemis, take Perseus back to your camp. Aphrodite, arrange a funeral for Demeter. Throw Hades into the River Styx."

The most disrespectful way of disposing of a body. All things considered, not very nice. Not nice at all.

"Hermes, make our forces ready. Once the word of Hades' demise reaches the ears of Prometheus, he will surely attack. Athena, Ares, draft a battle plan." Zeus ordered, and the Council did his bidding. At least he still had _some_ power. He'd just have to make it up with Artemis and Athena at some point, even if he wasn't in the wrong here.

Sometimes you had to apologize even if it wasn't your fault, however much pride he had to swallow. His kingship was more important than his pride, anyways.

Artemis knelt next to Percy, ignoring the blood that seeped into her knees, "Perseus?"

The demigod made a low whining sound, a sound very much unlike him.

The goddess sighed, picking him up easily. Once outside, Artemis flashed back to the Hunt's camp, immediately calling for her own, personal council.

Pheobe frowned, "Why are you carrying a _male_ , my lady?"

"Because this _male_ just killed Hades." Artemis replied, and immediately the tent fell silent, "The Ophiotaurus has been sacrificed, and he used it's power to kill Hades. Not disable him for the next millenia, _kill_ him. Demeter was also killed in the skirmish by Hades' sword. I'm sorry, Lizzy."

The six or seventh oldest Hunter, Elizabeth Tiller, nodded shakily. She'd mourn later; Now was not the time.

"That means the war is over. We won." Artemis paused, letting the words sink in.

"I'll bet my bow that Prometheus will attack us." Lizzy said, her voice quivering slightly from tears that were only held back through sheer force of will.

The goddess in the room nodded, "I believe so as well."

Percy started giggling, another sound quite unlike him.

"As you can see, something in the Underworld has changed Perseus. Until I can guarantee he isn't a threat, I will be keeping an eye on him personally." the Goddess of the Hunt said, "Prepare the Hunt to move out. That will be all."

Baccina smiled slightly as she left -it wasn't even a upward curling of the lips, really. Her plan had worked admirably. Perhaps it was time to build inroads with this demigod . . . his new power could be useful in the future.

Anyone but Perseus would be altogether too predictable, or too loyal to Artemis to do what needed to be done in the most extreme of scenarios. This son of Poseidon may truly be a diamond in the rough.

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A "bug" rested on the palm of Prometheus' hand. At least, that was what the mortal whom he hired called it.

"And you are certain the one they call Hades is dead?" he asked.

The mortal man facing him, with gray eyes and a hard face, sneered, "Naming themselves after bloody gods. Look's like this Hades ain't as immortal as he thought. Bug picked it up an hour ago. Payment?"

"Ah, yes. My assistants are bringing it as we speak." Prometheus replied. His wife-to-be -Vivian- and Kelli -a less than pure-bred _empousa_ \- came forward with briefcases.

"Show me the money." the mortal mercenary demanded.

The two _empousai_ made to open the briefcases, but lunged forward with claws slicing.

To his credit, the man instantly jumped back and brought his fists up, "What's this?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to renege on our previous agreement."said the Titan, his voice smooth and silky.

"Like hell. Give me the money or I'll kill your assistants." the man threatened, bringing his black leather gloves up.

"Try."

The man jumped forward, pivoting and slamming a booted heel into Vivian's stomach. _He_ couldn't touch monsters, technically. But his boots and gloves certainly could.

To Prometheus' amazement, he dodged the switchblades the _empousai_ had brought with remarkable agility. Punch after punch he slammed into the two monsters in a dazzling display of graceless skill at merciless fighting.

And Prometheus couldn't do _anything_. His clothes were made of a weave of Imperial Gold, fit for an emperor and untouchable by mortals.

To be honest, he was too busy coming up with ways to destroy Olympus to take _this_ into account. Why couldn't this mortal roll over and die like all the others?

Vivian landed in a heap next to him, having staggered backwards after a particularly powerful kick.

"Kelli. We're leaving." the Titan said, taking Vivian's shoulder and flashing away. Kelli disappeared in a burst of fire.

As soon as they returned to their base, they heard the sounds of battle.

This was not going to plan, not at all.

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"Keep pressing forward!" Clarisse shouted at the head of a phalanx of Greeks, while Jason was leading another in a pincer attack.

It had worked perfectly so far, driving into the middle of the monster's biggest camp.

The Romans and Roman minor gods formed a shield wall, and once Clarisse and Jason met up, the monster's camp would be split in half.

The Sea Denizens were flanking on the other side of the camp, the bellowing of Cyclops rolling over the entire battlefield.

The monsters were in chaos, a good chuck of them not even armed as they ran away -straight into the Romans, who killed all they could as a terrible vengeance for their dead. This wasn't a divide so easily healed by a big statue of Athena . . . if the Parenthos was here, it'd probably unleash a can of godly kick-ass on them too.

"Retreat! Break through their lines!" the daughter of Ares heard over the screams of the dying.

It was Prometheus, and he didn't sound very leader-y. More panicked than anything else, in fact.

Still, it sounded like he was moving away from the demigod's side of the battle -the other side was probably much more salvageable.

"Turn . . . now!" Clarisse ordered as the tips of Jason's phalanx broke through the monster's line ahead. Her phalanx swung around, turning to march inward as the phalanx led by Sparky did the same.

Then Clarisse unleashed all of her considerable skill with Maimer II -called Lamer Than Ever Before behind her back- on the monsters in front of her -it wasn't, in fact, lame. Arcs of lightning burned through their bodies after she stabbed them or bashed them over the head with the shaft. Either was lethal.

Chris Rodriguez was right next to her -they had a lot of private fighting lessons in the past year, and he had improved remarkably with his swords. He only ever wielded the metal on the battlefield, though.

The Minotaur reared up in front of the daughter of Ares, bellowing as it threw a son of Hermes over it's shoulder.

"You want some?" she shouted, brandish her spear, "Come get it!"

With a roar, the half-bull -again in it's tight-y-whities- charged and impaled itself on her spear.

 _Dracaenae_ turned to dust before her, and hellhounds melted into shadow. No _empousa_ could stand up to her, nor any giant overpower her; They were all just prey for her spear, the slaughter of the battlefield.

The Greeks pressed inward, cutting through the monsters with ease. The dreaded opponents of both the Titan and Giant Wars, now with neither leadership nor preperation, were completely dominated by the demigods. Swords trusted through the monster's defense, impaling them with a spurt of blood and dust that they dissolved into. This was a massacre, demigods cutting down defenseless monsters and winning the day.

It was some time later before Clarisse skewered the last rogue Centaur and held up the spoils of war -a hoof.

"Victory!"

The Greeks and Romans cheered together. After a peace that most of them only knew about an hour ago, they were again at war.

* * *

 **A/N: I haven't broken five thousand words yet, so this'll have to be about forty words long. So yes, things are going better for Olympus and yes, Percy is indeed insane now. Also, monsters ain't done yet.** **Percy still hasn't been bitten by -ya' know, I'll just shut my big, fat mouth now.**

 **Meanwhile, a hint of love is in the air around Artemis and Perseus -and will continue to be so now that one of them has a bit more free time to rave and jibber.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: To explain a few things that need explaining: Demeter is dead. The Sword of Hades, with the key embedded in the hilt, can lock any soul into the Underworld. As for Nico . . . well, he isn't dead quite yet.**

Chapter 16-

* * *

"Psyche?" Artemis asked through the Iris-Message, "What's going on?"

The minor god looked into the screen of mist, " _Di immortal_ _e_ _s_! Persephone destroyed New Rome and Camp Jupiter! Every . . . everyone's . . ."

Artemis' eyes widened. Why didn't she realize this? What would the survivors of New Rome do after Persephone . . . wait, what?

"Persephone attacked you?"

"Persephone and thousands of skeletons! Some of the veterans tried to fight them, and they told the rest of us to flee! But the skeletons caught us the second we left, and we split up . . ." Psyche weeped for the ones who died, raw emotion turning her into the figure of sadness.

"Hold on. I must tell Zeus." Artemis flashed into Zeus' tent, walking in on a scene she really didn't want to walk into.

"What in Hades?!" Zeus thundered, yanking a sheet up to cover both his wife and himself in bed . . . frolicking, shall we say?

"Di immortales!" Hera shrieked, "Manners, Artemis!"

Artemis, who had her eyes tightly shut, turned beetroot red.

"Get out! Now!" screeched the Queen of the Gods, and Artemis immediately disappeared.

As her husband's illegitimate daughter walking in on them was something of a turn-off for Hera, she immediately got dressed. Zeus, well, he got dressed too after his wife slapped him a few times.

"Artemis? Enter!" Zeus ordered.

The Goddess of Virginity walked in, still red in the face, "I've made contact with a group of refugees that fled New Rome as it was attacked."

"Tell Hermes to gather them and bring them here." ordered the god, "And what happened to the Centaurs?"

Artemis hesitated, "Probably dead."

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After Hermes rounded them all up, it was surprisingly easy for the Olympians to flash them over a few at a time.

"Why did you not contact us sooner?" Athena asked, followed closely by: "Did you ever make contact with an army of Centaurs?"

"When we entered New Rome, we were forced to convert all of our _drachmas_ to _denarii_. They were kept in the treasury, and none of us thought to get them on our way out." Psyche stammered, "And there was an army of Centaurs chasing us too?"

"No. A few days ago, we sent the Centaurs to try and delay the skeletons. It appears they failed." answered the Goddess of Wisdom, "How many made it out?"

Psyche bit her lip nervously, "I don't know. We were some of the first out, but after that the skeletons came around and blocked it. I don't think very many."

"Very well. Hermes, gather a list of those here and give it to Athena." Zeus turned to the Goddess of Wisdom, "What do you suggest we do about Persephone's army?"

Athena looked pensive, "There is not much more damage they can do in California, save perhaps defeating Ladon and taking the Garden of the Hesperides . . . but I doubt she will see the benefits of that. I would suggest dealing with the monster threat quickly and decisively while Persephone is still too far away to affect us directly."

"Ares. Tell our forces to ready themselves for another attack."

The God of War disappeared obediently, eager for more action.

"Artemis? Why did you attempt to contact Psyche?" asked the King of the Gods.

The goddess didn't seem to hear him.

"Artemis!"

Artemis jerked up, looking at her father, "What?"

"I said, why did you attempt to contact Psyche?"

"No reason." Artemis replied with as straight a face as possible -not that it was very convincing.

"I'm sure she wished to ensure the safety of the non-combatants in this war." Athena spoke up, not so subtly ordering Artemis to confirm the statement.

"Yes. I just wanted to make sure the non-combatants were safe." Artemis replied hastily, as if to cover her slip-up.

Zeus narrowed his eyes; Once was coincidence, twice is conspiracy . . . what were they trying to accomplish?

"Will that be all? I would like to join my sons and daughters in constructing our strategy in the battles to come."

"Yes . . . yes." the King of the Gods murmured. Athena had so much power when it came to strategy, and Artemis the most effective fighting force in their army -not to mention a demigod with the power to kill him. Were they planning a coup?

Zeus shook the thought from his mind angrily. These were his two favorite daughters, who competed for the _singular_ title of 'favorite daughter'. They were loyal to him, weren't they?

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"Psyche?" Athena asked, with Artemis right behind her, "We need you to take another look at Perseus."

Psyche nodded shakily, "I'll try."

"Lead on, Artemis."

The Goddess of the Hunt led the other two goddesses into her tent, where the son of Poseidon bound upright, his wrists tied to the ceiling beams.

Athena looked over the tied up demigod impassively, "Did he try to-"

"No. Nothing like that. I found him like this after he killed Hades." Artemis said, "He's here so I can keep a personal eye on him."

Psyche looked entranced by the demigod, her shakiness forgotten, "Did you? This is really quite interesting . . ."

She trailed off, gently gripping Percy's head in her hands.

The demigod giggled.

Psyche took a deep breath, stepping backwards, "There is nothing wrong with his souls. Though I sense something is off, I can't be sure."

 _He's insane, Psyche._ A cool voice said in her head.

 _Himeros?_ Psyche asked, _How is my husband? Did you do this to Perseus?_

 _Yes, it's me, your husband has taken up residence in a different host, and no we did not do this to Percy. He was my host, and I take care of my hosts._

 _Then what happened to him? Do you know?_

 _Of course I do. Before Hades died, he cursed everyone who loved Percy and/or was friends of his, saying that whatever he gained, his friends and family would suffer. The curse took effect immediately, and robbers broke into Percy's apartment in New York to kill his mother and stepfather._ Himeros' voice was tinged with sadness, _He broke under the strain of all the loss. Can you transfer me back to Percy's body? It might also help if Artemis knew what was going on, as much as I hate her._

 _I'll try_. Psyche raised her hands again, "I'm going to try a different technique, but I don't know if it'll have any different results. Nothing ventured . . ."

Himeros rushed back into Percy's body, and Psyche spent a good half minute pretending she was doing something.

"I've gotten similar feelings from patients who were driven insane by one thing or another. Perhaps seeing Hades' Helm of Darkness was too much for him."

"That seems feasible." Athena was lost in thought, "However, there have not been any documented cases of anyone recovering from the Helm of Darkness after it has driven them past this point . . . it would take healing magic of extreme potency to mend his broken mind."

"How powerful?"

"As powerful as the physician's cure, though healing substances of that nature are extremely rare." Athena sighed, "It may be more productive to put an end to his insanity now, so we may focus our entire minds on the coming battles."

"No." Artemis growled, "He is my servant, and I will not let him die."

"Then at least wait until the monsters are brought to heal. It should not be long now." the goddesses had completely forgotten the Psyche was even there, and the minor goddess quietly slipped away in the night. "If his condition worsens, tell me immediately."

The Goddess of Wisdom left as well, and Artemis looked carefully at the tied up son of Poseidon.

"What more do I want from you, Percy? After everything you've done . . ." Artemis closed her eyes, but they snapped open when she heard Percy giggle again.

"It's so pretty." Percy's voice was high-pitched, and giggled again and looking over Artemis' shoulder, "Look at it . . . hehe . . . the lights . . ."

Artemis turned, hands reaching for her knives, but there was nothing. Just the tent flap.

"So pretty . . ." the demigod's voice dropped, becoming more like his own, "Beautiful."

The goddess sighed -this would be a hassle. But this time, Percy wasn't looking at his own hallucinations.

He was looking right into Artemis' eyes.

-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-Dream-

Artemis opened her eyes to see the world had completely changed.

Chasms filled with liquid fire had delicate flowers on their banks, and winged monstrosities drifted lazily on the thermal updrafts. Smaller birds, doves and pigeons, wove in and out, pecking at seeds that fell from the sky.

Somehow, her bed was resting half off a ledge, and Percy was sitting at her desk -on open air.

The goddess immediately leaped out of bed, her feet landing on solid ground, "What in Hades is this?"

"My dream, of course." Percy, still floating above river of fire, "Amazing what insanity does to a person, isn't it? Everything's so much more interesting."

He waved his arms as if conducting an orchestra, and the lava responded to his directions. Spouts of molten rock arced into the air, forming intricate patterns and splashing across the flower-filled banks.

"How are you doing this?" shouted the goddess, leaping away from the gouts of flame, "Stop!"

"It's my dream!" Percy laughed maniacally, "I'll do whatever I want!"

"No! This is _my_ dream! Get out of it!"

Beneath the facadé of Percy's body, Himeros smiled. His host was miles underground, sleeping fitfully while he distracted the goddess.

Dreams were wonderfully changeable like that.

The winged horrors in the air multiplied, filling the skies as pseudo-Percy directed his fake concert, diving through hoops of flames to catch flaming doves.

Then locusts appeared, swarming on the horizon.

Artemis covered her face as they swept over her, biting at her skin before Himeros burned away the swarm.

Spikes of earth rose from lava, each with a separate enemy. Many had different versions of Hades, others showed Luke's progression into Kronos as he hung, skewered through the stomach, on a stone spear.

Gaea was the same, along with Porphyrion, Alcyoneus, and Polybotes.

Percy smiled at them all, sickening and twisted. The spikes churned, tearing each of their bodies apart.

"Stop this, Percy! Stop! I'm ordering you, stop this now!" Artemis screamed, then everything converged on her.

Horrors dived from the skies, great ravines full of lava opened beneath her feet, and the writhing spikes skewered her in dozens of places at once.

Artemis' cry of agony as her body was torn to shreds, burnt to a crisp, and swallowed whole all at once was as piercing as the spikes that ripped her apart.

Miles into the stone, far away from any of the action, Percy sat bolt upright, breathing deeply.

Artemis was in trouble.

He kicked the covers off, coming to his feet. For some reason, his mind was focus, the shattered pieces lining up perfectly to allow a single beam of light to shine all the way through.

The air in front of him shimmered, and Himeros stepped out to look at him, concerned, "Are you alright, Perseus?"

"Artemis." he grunted, the single word taking more effort than any word should to say in a coherent manner.

What he really said was "Awl-m-s."

Himeros laid a calming hand on his shoulder, "This is just a nightmare, Perseus. Artemis is fine, but you must wake."

Charmspeak colored his voice, " _Wake._ "

-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-Dream Ends-

Artemis jerked up in her _real_ bed, a mangled mixture of shock and agony escaping her lips as she frantically checked herself. _Just a dream, Artemis_.

As if woken by the sound, Percy jerked his head upright as well. It was a wonder he had gotten any sleep at all last night, tied up as he was.

"What did you dream about, Perseus?" the goddess wondered, looking at the bound demigod at the foot of her bed, "Did you dream about madness?"

Percy laughed the same maniacal laugh, and Artemis shook her head roughly. He must've done that during the night, that's why it was in her dream. Their dreams weren't connected, she was sure of it.

If they were, how could she kiss him?

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Lyra looked at the map Lycaon spread on the floor of the cave, the two Alphas and their most trusted Betas all gathered around.

"The last of our packmates will meet us here." Lycaon growled, pointing at a specific forest, "Prometheus again has requested our aid against the Hunters and Olympus."

Liliana, predictably, snorted derisively, "Coward."

That opinion was shared by everyone in the cave.

"We should strike." a Beta snarled, "Lyra, where are the Hunt? Tell us so we may-"

Lyra lashed out, her fingertips turning into claws that ripped across the Beta's face. Alvarr, was he?

"I will do as I decide. _You_ do not order me, Beta." Lyra snarled back.

"Lycaon's bitch." the Beta sneered, wiping the blood from his cheek and grabbed for his sword. Right next to him, his mate did the same. On his other side, a friend of his backed him up.

He didn't get any further before Lyra's foot met his face, throwing him clean out of the cave. She stared down the friend, swords drawn and aimed at the mate.

Across the cave, five other Betas had drawn their weapons to support Lyra, not that she needed it. Liliana sat calmly, impassive, but it was good to know that the werewolf still had most of the higher-ranked Betas under her thumb.

The friend of the first Beta released his weapon, re-sheathing it and slumping down. He would be dead by tomorrow, along with his friend and his friend's mate. That was the way things were done in the Pack.

Those two knew it as well, and as soon as she turned away they attacked -they didn't take her by surprise, of course.

Lyra spun, slamming the friend's sword against the cave wall and slamming her forehead into his nose. He stumbled back, the mate lunging forward with a spear,

The daughter of Mnemosyne stepped aside, burying both her shortswords in the enemy's body, then tore them out and did the same to the friend.

The Omegas took the bodies away. They would be covered in leaves and left to lie there, to decompose at the spot they died.

Lyra pointed to east Pennsylvania with her sword, "The Hunt is here, but without the rest of the Pack we won't attack. Clear?"

Some -the supporters of the Beta that tried to kill her- skulked, but the rest nodded. Lycaon didn't say a word, neither supporting nor condemning her.

"My spies in the Hunt are laying the groundwork. When they are ready, we will strike a crippling blow. You will all have a share of Hunters to make your servants."

"You will." Lycaon growled, menace filling his voice, "I will be generous to the one who brings me Artemis. She is _mine_."

Lyra almost smirked; he was _so_ predictable it was laughable. The work of centuries gradually replaced Betas loyal to Lycaon with Betas loyal to _her_. Now all it would take is one big event in Lyra's favor to swing the rest of the Pack to her command. Such as crushing the Hunt, for instance.

Liliana narrowed her eyes; She could practically _sense_ the smirk on Lyra's face. What was the bitch smirking about?

The Hunter wasn't blind to the shift of power to the Alpha female of the Pack. She had even managed to delay it for almost two hundred years, but it wasn't enough. Her latest plan had failed horribly as well -the other Betas she had bribed didn't come through.

Which meant now it was back to the drawing board, but now she had three less powerful supporters. Damn.

Now all she could do was delay the attack as much as possible. Sabotage supplies, create roadblocks, kill werewolves. The usual.

At least until the war with the monsters was over and done with.

If the the werewolves attacked right after a big battle, the Hunt would be exhausted and torn apart. If they attacked _during_ the battle . . . Lily didn't want to think about that.

"Your orders, _King_ Lycaon?" Liliana asked, stressing the _King_ part of the name as a discreet poke at Lyra.

The werewolf grunted, "We wait. Once Lyra's spies have done the cowardly work, we will attack with weapons in hand."

Clever. Very clever, to call Lyra's people cowards.

But also predictable.

Lyra leaned back, completely relaxed, "Let's see who the coward is after my men have disabled the Hunt."

Lycaon snarled, looking down on the werewolf-ess with derision, "I look forward to it, _female._ We'll see how pathetic your _agents_ are."

Lyra went for her swords. Lycaon did the same.

While Lyra used two shortswords in combination with her natural athleticism to create a crushing barrage of strikes, Lycaon used brute force and even more brutish speed to simply smash his opponent apart. His sword, a massive one, reflected that.

This wasn't the first time they fought; Neither could they back down. If Lyra could conclusively win this fight, it could be what she needed to overturn his rule. If Lycaon won, he could force the Pack to submit to his will once again.

If it was a stalemate, which it usually was, nothing would change.

Lyra braced, taking his massive sword on the crossguards of her own blades, then slammed a heel into Lycaon's solar plexus.

The King of Werewolves just grinned a toothy grin, and replied with a heavy punch that Lyra dodged -barely.

Lyra went on the offensive, keeping Lycaon's massive sword far away from _any_ way it could make it's massive, crushing blows. It was an effective strategy, one that had worked in the past.

The problem was that they were about equally suited for this kind of battle: Lycaon's incredible strength made it impossible for Lyra to get past his guard, while the female werewolf's speed, agility, and ability to deflect Lycaon's strikes also formed a roadblock for the King of the Werewolves.

Inevitably, Lyra started to tire and slipped into defense. Lycaon's sword scraped off the walls of the cave when Lyra always moved _just_ far away enough for the sword to miss entirely. It was a risky strategy, but an effective one -and Lyra was a master at it.

The werewolf's shortswords flickered in a series of short thrusts that put her on offence again, but it wouldn't last. Lycaon forced her to block a heavy horizontal strike at her abdomen -in the cave, that kind of strike was particularly hard to dodge. Lycaon snarled, his claws tearing deep scrapes into Lyra's stomach.

That strike ended up costing him dearly, as the daughter of Mnemosyne deflected his next strike up over her head and scored a deep cut across Lycaon's ribcage.

They disengaged, Lycaon grunting as he checked his wound and Lyra calmly dealing with her own. That was another way they differed -Lycaon was hot-blooded, charging like a bull and killing everything in his way except for the extremest circumstances. Lyra was his opposite, preferring a slow, more strategic approach even if it would cost her in the long run -she didn't like taking chances. She was more cold-blooded in, again, all but extenuating circumstance.

"Hah. Another time, Lyra. Your luck will end." Lycaon growled, sheathing his two-handed broadsword.

"Maybe you'll be halfway decent with a little more practice." Lyra snarked back.

He let out a short bark of laughter, then pointed at the map, "We're moving there . . . get your men ready. Hydrus, bring me something I can sink my teeth into."

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"Mother?" Sylia groaned, "Why now? I was going to the theatre with-"

"And I'm fighting a war here." Vivian growled, "You can go to the theatre later. What if this is the last time I see your face?"

Sylia's ears reddened in embarrassment, "I'm far too pretty for you to die."

"That's true." her mother smiled, "Tell me about your day, daughter."

"My bodyguards followed me around the whole time." Sylia rolled her eyes, "I know they're for my protection, but they're _so_ not fun."

"I need you to be safe. You will rule the world, daughter." the _empousa_ said softly.

"But ruling the world sounds _so_ boring! When will I have time to hand out with Adѐle and Thierry?"

"Order someone else to _run_ the world for you, dearest." Vivian said, exasperated, "Then you will have all the time in the world to be with your friends. What about the suitor I sent you?"

"I bit him." Sylia shrugged nonchalantly, licking her lips, "He was sour. Too little iron."

"You can't bite _all_ of them, _amour_." her mother sighed, "I told you, you must get to know him or her first. If you are very alike, _then_ you bite. You won't be able to find your match if you bite everyone you meet."

"But _why_?" Sylia protested, "What can I know about them that they can't tell me right away?"

"Because this is as much for _you_ as it is for _them_. You may not even know you like something until they bring it up. One of them said they liked to golf. Have you ever golfed before?"

Sylia rolled her eyes -she seemed to be expert at it, "You hit a tiny white ball in a hole hundreds of meters away in the middle of the day, with the sun overhead and no air conditioning. Does that sound fun to you?"

"No." Vivian admitted, "But you won't know unless you try, right?"

"I _already_ know I won't like it. Why should I bother with the _trying_ bit?" protested the younger _empousa_.

"I'm _asking_ you to. Please? If you say yes, you can go back to the theatre with your friends."

"Yes." Sylia replied instantly.

"With some meaning?"

"Fine, mother." -eye roll again- "I promise to get to know the suitors before biting them."

"If I don't see you again, this is goodbye."

"Be quiet, I heard you talking to Circe about 'If I die, give this to Sylia' and all that." she said playfully, "Besides, if things get bad just leave, right?"

Vivian laughed, "Can't keep secrets from you, I suppose. Run along now. And keep the guards with you!"

Sylia stuck out her tongue, then raced off. One of her bodyguards, a twenty-something sorceress named Aurore broke the connection while her fellow, Michelle, followed their wayward body to guard.

Vivian sighed, "Be safe, amour. I don't know what I am without you."

"The gods are advancing again, my love." Prometheus' soft, silken voice rolled over her.

She stood, turning to face her would-be husband, "Will we retreat again," she licked her lips sensually, "or will I get a snack?"

"You have my deepest apologies, but we must leave. I cannot risk your safety." Prometheus said softly, "Please, prepare your things."

"Oh, Prometheus." she cooed softly, running a hand as pale as milk and as smooth as the silkiest chocolate over his scarred cheek, "If my big, strong Titan keeps denying me, I'll have to go out on my own. . . and we can't have that, can we?"

Prometheus shivered slightly -he was a sucker for that. After millenia of being chained to a rock, helpless as vultures ate his liver time and time again, he would give anything to feel powerful again. With the scars on his face, he was desperate for compliments.

He was weak, like most men. All but a select few would fall before true _empousai_ , and those few were potential mates. Once they were found, they would be taken as husbands, and Vivian could feel her daughter's growing ever nearer. He would be powerful, oh so powerful, but not cruel. Kind, but willing to do what needed to be done without a second thought. He wasn't a blustering, arrogant _thing_ like most males, more quiet and easily controlled but with a defiant streak.

A perfect compliment to her daughter's stubborn and headstrong nature, able to bend when needed but hold steady before she went too far.

Vivian groaned softly. Why couldn't she get a man so perfectly suited to her? She knew herself down to a letter, and once she heard Prometheus was free, she thought she might've found her mate.

But it was a pipe dream, and the Titan was much too easily manipulated.

Prometheus turned, about to kiss her full on the lips before she turned away.

"You must command your army before bedtime." Vivian tutted, stopping him cold. Making him all the more desperate, "We cannot have anyone interrupt us."

"O-of course." Prometheus, the Titan of Crafty Council and a proclaimed pro at manipulation, nearly tripped over himself to do his 'lover's' bidding.

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Thalia walked around her tent, restless. The chores were done -she had seen to that herself. Sentries were posted, everyone was fed and ready to move again at dawn. But now she had a few hours of free time, and no idea what to do.

That, of course, meant pulling out a phone and texting someone else.

Within minutes, she got her answer, and hopped on the Minecraft server. She wasn't the first to get bored, it seemed.

L1ghtn1ngGurl joined the game.

Welcome, L1ghtn1ngGurl

 **[Chat] N40m1- yo attacking pheobe**

[Chat] L1ghtn1ngGurl- cool

Thalia -spawning in her armor, of course, dumped some of her more valuable items in a nearby chest in her own secret resource dump before heading out.

Pheobe was in one of the larger factions on the Hunt's server. With two hundred Hunters, all-out wars got pretty interesting.

This was a border skirmish, more like.

Between their borders, a dozen Hunters were fighting a fierce battle. Arrows flew, lava was dumped, and by the looks of it, one side had even set up a TNT trap that went off a while ago.

Thalia jumped right in, attacking one of the older Hunters -Maryse- and she fell to the surprise attack.

No one was stupid enough to wear diamond armor to something like this -it wasn't worth risking diamond over- but still, an enchanted iron sword with Sharpness V and Fire Aspect II wasn't to be sneezed at, and Thalia eagerly took it.

One by one, each side disengaged as their health got a _little_ too low for comfort. Potions of Harming and _more_ lava was thrown to cover their retreat and much steak was eaten -hey, fighting a bit battle made you hungry.

 **[Chat] N40m1- anything cool**

[Chat] L1ghtn1ngGurl- shrp 5 fire 2

 **[Chat] M0nr0e- sharp 3 knockback 2 looting 2**

 **[Chat] M3lynda- prtect 4 resprtion 2**

 **[Chat] R3suz4- dshovel unbreaking 2 efficency 4**

[Chat] L1ghtn1ngGurl- beginners luck

 **[Chat] N40m1- shovl? diamond shovl**

 **[Chat] R3suz4- *shrug***

Meanwhile, Artemis was having a restless night of her own. Percy's constant muttering and occasional hysterical giggle were an odd mix of deranged and care-inducing. Like a cute puppy holding a bloodstained butcher's knife.

"Perseus?"

He didn't reply until she got close enough to hear the muttered words. "Like, shrike, pike, hike, -giggle- mike, spike, tych, dike-"

"Perseus?"

The head came up, Artemis' cool, silver eyes looking into Percy's shattered sea-green orbs. There was so much pain in them, even before his parents died.

What could she do to get through that haze of emotional ruin and to the mind that was still there?

Artemis unlocked the shackles holding him upright, and Percy staggered before recovering and laughing suddenly.

"Fwee. Fwee. Fwee." Percy said out loud, badly mispronouncing the r's, "Fwee, twee, me, she, he, key. Does she like it?"

His speech was choppy, prone to sudden stops and equally sudden starts.

It might not've been the best idea, but Artemis took something off of her belt -Annabeth's dagger. Perhaps it would pierce through-

"Mo!" Percy shrieked, scrambling away from her to cower in the corner, "Evil, howwible thing! Why does she bring it?"

That was bad, wasn't it? Artemis slipped the dagger back into it's sheath, covering the hilt with her right hand, "It's gone now, Perseus."

"Pain, it huwt me, it huwt me!" Percy let out another odd giggle, "Kill the pale man, oh yes, kill him with it."

Then she brought out another item -one that Percy had left there a long time ago.

"Do you recognize this, Percy?" Artemis held up the journal, enchanted by Demeter and mended by Athena.

Percy smiled to his ears, showing teeth, "Pretty. The light, so pwetty."

The light? What was that supposed to mean?

"Can't you see it? Beawtiful silver light." Percy pointed at her, the journal never even noticed, "So beautiful."

* * *

 **A/N: French accents are too hard and I don't know how to write them. Any suggestions on how, and I'll implement them right away. Also, this story is rated T for a reason. Implied sex is a thing. So is swearing, but that'll pick up a bit more later. If you're not comfortable with T rated things, I can only suggest you not read this.**

 **Please review, follow, or favorite. It really makes my week.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: If any of you read my new Harry Potter fic and discovered it's Deathnote, I fixed it. Now it's Harry Potter again.**

Chapter 17-

* * *

"The enemy has stopped retreating." Athena said, "After our first strike, I would put the effective strength of their forces at eighty percent. Meanwhile, with our losses from our battles with Hades, we have an effective strength of eighty-three point four five two. Perhaps now is time to take a more cautionary approach."

She pointed at the map, where the monsters were camping on the banks of a river near New Haven. By the looks of things, they meant to stay.

"Are you suggesting we make peace with Prometheus?" Zeus replied dangerously.

"Not at all. We do not, however, have the strength to successfully rout them if they are dug in and waiting." the goddess of wisdom expanded on her thinking, "So the next best thing would be to barrage their position with artillery to even the odds. The Romans have lost their catapults and ballista to the skeletons, making that impossible."

"Then what do you suggest we do, daughter?"

Artemis was the first to connect the dots, "The river."

"Correct. Camp Half-Blood is only sixty-eight miles away by water. We will load up the triremes with soldiers and assault the camp by land. While the monsters are distracted, the triremes will begin shuttling our forces across the river, where they will have gathered in advance."

Ares grinned menacingly, "I like it. Good, old fashioned flanking like I told Miltiades in-"

"Correction: Hermes was the one who told Miltiades what to do on _my_ orders. If my memory is accurate -which is is,- _you_ were supporting the Persians." Athena scowled, "Back to the topic at hand, I will send you more details as things get underway."

"Very well. Council dismissed." ordered the King of the Gods. After everyone left but Hera he spoke again, "It seems as if every day I have less power in these meetings."

"This is war, dearest." Hera replied, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder despite the feelings of disgust at reminders of her husband's infidelity, "No one knows it better than Athena and Artemis. Just wait until this is over, and everything will return to normal."

"The normal where Artemis roams around the continent, doing whatever she wants while Athena stays in her palace all the time to work on architectural drawings? Where Ares and Aphrodite don't bother showing up for any council meetings but the winter solstice? Even my own brother is lying on his deathbed, to be replaced by a creature I _know_ does not like me." Zeus took a deep breath, "Everything is falling apart around me; I need to regain power _somehow_ , do I not?"

"And you will, loved one." the Goddess of Marriage patted his hand, "You are the King of the Gods. They must obey you. You still have power."

Zeus sighed, "I am not wrong, however. Even if I ordered her to, would Artemis show up to the majority of the meetings of the council?"

"If you ordered it, husband," Hera said soothingly, "she would."

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"Artemis, I'd like troop placements and guard rotations if you can get them." Athena said, "I wish to win the war with this battle."

The Goddess of the Hunt nodded, "I'll get them to you. Do you want my Hunters supporting the main assault or the triremes?"

"Can your Hunters shoot accurately while tied partway up mast?" Athena asked, "It would be an extraordinarily exposed firing position with no real possibility of dodging return fire. Without support or distraction, the landing party will be torn apart in quick succession."

"Some of them. Not the majority." replied Artemis, "I'll ask for volunteers."

"When will you be able to summon your bow again?"

Artemis shook her head, "Not soon enough to be of any difference in this battle. The cooldown is horrendously long. If you want something to draw attention away from the landing fighters, I can arrange something."

The goddess was only "allowed" to summon her true symbol of power once every three months by the same Ancient Laws that restricted her godly power in exchange for consorting with mortals. Without Prometheus directly fighting on the monster's side -nor any immortal for that matter- her powers were bound as usual. When it _was_ an immortal conflict, however, she could take her place as an Olympian.

Of course, three months was nothing to a goddess . . . except when it was everything.

"Perseus?"

"He's been hallucinating lights, apparently. The only thing that he's recognized so far has been Annabeth's dagger, and his reaction wasn't exactly encouraging." Artemis sighed, "How come as soon as he joined my Hunt as the Servant, he keeps getting worse?"

"It isn't your fault, Artemis. We took a chance, and it didn't pay off." the Goddess of Wisdom turned, facing her, "What was his reaction to Annabeth's dagger?"

"Mostly illegible, but he called it evil, backed away quickly, and asked me why I brought it there. As soon as it was hidden from his view, however, he calmed down." Artemis said, trying to keep the note of concern out of her voice. She had to say this calmly and without emotion. A field report on the battle for Percy's mind.

"Interesting. Try Annabeth's hat, he may recognize it. If he shows a negative reaction, I would believe it is because of Annabeth's death. If positive, assume his negative reaction to the dagger is tied to the incident of his parent's death." Athena stated calmly, as if observing a strange rock.

"It's no wonder he cracked, is it? Most of the people closest to him, and a good number of his friends, are all dead." Artemis sighed, "How can he -a demigod male, of all things- handle that until his parent's death? Most of my Hunters the same age would have given up long before his snapped."

"It isn't like you to show this level of concern over a man." Athena said, appraising the goddess, "Why?"

"He's my Servant and part of the Hunt." Artemis growled, "I protect my things."

Athena looked skeptical at this, but let it slide. This wasn't the first time a male had entered her Hunt, and Hippolytos was a resounding success as a Hunter -aside from the whole Asclepius fiasco, of course. Though she doubted Percy was anhedonic like the son of Theseus.

"Have you invited Hestia to take a look into his mind?"

Artemis shuddered, "After last time? No."

"If Psyche couldn't do much, Hestia would not either." Athena supposed, "Still, I have conducted a little investigation and the best chance to heal Perseus both in body and mind would be Golden Apples for the Garden of Hesperides."

"Any other options?" Artemis asked, "It has shown itself more than a match for Zoë. I am unsure whether I could defeat it alone, and I will not risk the lives of Hunters on a personal mission."

"Killing him an bringing him back to life could suffice, but after Zeus' anger the last time the physician's cure was created . . . in truth, it is likely that the only reason Camp Half-Blood is still standing is that the cure, to our knowledge, was lost."

"Please tell my you have a third option." said the goddess, "The first two aren't very appealing."

"Make him a Hunter and wait a few millenia to see if there's any improvement." Athena shrugged, "That's the only safe action. Sometimes you must roll the dice and hope it pays off."

"After the war, then." Artemis sighed, "Maybe we can find an option that doesn't involve committing assisted suicide or waiting for thousands of years."

"Do not pin your hopes on that, Artemis." Athena hesitated, as if making up her mind, "There is something that _may_ help, but has potential to go incredibly wrong."

"What is it?"

"You will not like it."

"Just tell me already."

"The Erotes."

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 _Hello, Perseus._ Himeros said, _How do you feel?_

 _Percy gibbered erratically, the only sounds that broke the silence in the outside world. Inside his mind, however, there was pandemonium. Random thoughts flew wildly through, and Himeros was residing in a heart that was torn to pieces in a figurative sense._

 _Himeros could feel the pain in there, it was so powerful that it even leaked into his own, incorporal form. Deep inside, in his own insane way, Percy's shattered self was mourning for all he had lost. Bunches of memories stuck together in a ball, as if shielding one in particular -death._

 _This was what living as a spirit is like in a host's body. Existing as pure thought and emotion. Completely in sync with the host. Feeling what he's feeling, remembering side-by-side._

 _Needless to say, Himeros was feeling a little crazy, but he was tamping it down for the most part. His hosts' need for him kept him sane and cognizant of his hosts' condition. It was indeed dire, but the Golden Apples should suffice in healing him._

 _But to get Golden Apples, he would need to find a way to contact Lyra. The she-wolf was certainly clever enough to kill Ladon and pilfer the apples. By now, Resuza should've told her Perseus was stuck in Artemis' tent._

 _Knowing this, Lyra should see for herself within the next few days._ Himeros mused _, If nothing else, to retrieve me from such an enviroment and getting my report on what happened to the demigod._

 _The Eros checked over his host again. The spirits hovering on the outside of his body had all left to Psyche -they didn't want to be caught by Artemis, and Psyche was certainly sympathetic to their cause._

 _They would begin correcting the weave of Mist while Himeros, Eros, Philotes, and Hedyloges exacted their revenge on Artemis. As a rule, none of them liked violence nor condoned it. In fact, many of the Erotes were pacifists most of the time -except for their ancient feud with Artemis._

 _The exception to the rule. The one case in which even Hedyloges would fight. It was self-defense, in a way. Artemis would stop at nothing to make sure they were all enslaved._

 _Still, slaying a goddess is no easy task. But now, due to plain, simple, dumb luck, Percy had the exact tools for the job._

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Artemis looked at the six people in her tent. Percy was chained up and giggling as usual, and another five members of him 'family' were casting odd looks at him.

"How large of a display do you think you could make with your power?" Artemis asked five of the six daughters and legacies of the sea god in her Hunt.

Maiya, Mairi, Talia, Ava, and Veronica all exchanged glances, then Veronica spoke up, "What kind of display, milady? An earthquake or a hurricane?"

"Something to disorient a camp full of monsters long enough for an assault force to disembark from triremes and form up." Artemis said, "Half a minute or more."

"We could summon an earthquake." Veronica said, and the rest nodded in agreement, "Strong enough to level the camp, in all probability. A water spout would be substantially harder on a large scale, milady."

"What if you add Perseus?" Artemis asked, gesturing to the chained up demigod.

Veronica hesitated, "How powerful is he, milady? On a scale from Ava to Liliana?"

"After a few years of practice, he will be able to rival Liliana. Right now, he would be between yourself and Talia." the Goddess of the Hunt answered, evaluating what she had heard of Percy.

"We may be able summon a hurricane that powerful, then, if we had a water source. Milady, will we be on the triremes?" Veronica asked, "And where will this battle take place? I may need to do some covering-up once I get back to my job."

"A river near New Haven, Connecticut." Artemis said.

"This incident will incur a considerable amount of paperwork." Veronica sighed, "Good thing I have a secretary."

"Can Percy use his powers?" Maiya asked in fluent English despite her Japanese birthplace, "He doesn't look . . . sane."

"He isn't." Artemis said flatly, "Can you work around that?"

"I think so, my lady." Maiya replied, "As long as we can trust him not to start actively trying to resist us."

Outside the tent, Baccina Machiavelli was listening intently. The tent was, naturally, soundproof, but it would take more than that to stop her. In fact, the only tent that she couldn't listen through -and break into, if needed- was Liliana's. That girl was cautious beyond belief.

Hunters passed her by outside without incident -she 'borrowed' Percy's invisibility hat for the time being. How he had gotten his hands on such a powerful item, she didn't know. But he had, and now she had access to it when needed -for the greater good of the Hunt, of course.

She had a reputation like that around the Hunt. She would approach someone, tell them something they needed to know, and walk away without an explanation of how she got the information.

In this case, she needed to tap into her skills as a daughter of Athena -and an apprentice of Circe at one point- to make the whole process work smoothly.

If it didn't, the daughters and son of Poseidon would be horribly exposed to return fire, and that wouldn't be good. Not at all.

Inside the tent, the daughters of Poseidon and their lady goddess were discussing just how to best deal with Percy's likely unstable power. They didn't know that, inside Percy's body, a host of spirits were listening . . . and making their own plans.

 _Why should we let him fight?_ Hymen asked the other Erotes, _We can't expect barbarians like the Hunt to do anything else, but he is our host in this world. We are wiser folk than war, aren't we?_

Hermaphroditus grunted, _But Prometheus has never liked us. Besides, us failing to focus Percy's strength for this event will only hurt the_ _children of the gods_ _. I wouldn't expect the Hunt to fight on the front lines._

 _True._ Himeros said, _The Greeks and Romans are our relatives. We can't let them die._

 _Quiet, Himeros._ It was Pothos this time, _Perseus has infected you with his warlike personality._

 _Perhaps. But perhaps we need to become more warlike. Our hosts may do the fighting for us, but we can't say we're pacifists while ordering them to do this._ Himeros argued back, _War is a terrible thing, but we can't reason with Prometheus. Neither side will accept the other living at the end._

 _But why? No gap is too great to bridge._ Pothos protested, _We can make things up between the two of them._

 _Ever the optimist, ever the fool, Pothos_. Hermaphroditus replied, _In a perfect world, in two or three millenia, yes, we could regather enough of our strength to mend things between the Titans and the Olympians._

 _In the meantime,_ Himeros added _, Only Prometheus or Olympus will win. Neither can submit to the other's terms. There will be no surrender, no offer of peace. One side will be annihilated. The other will not._

The rest of the Erotes were listening to the four of them.

 _Should we take the level of barbarians to deal with barbarians, Himeros?_ Hymen asked, _Are we not more enlightened than that?_

 _After being chained up for millenia, you ask this?_ Himeros laughed, _These "barbarians," as you call them, are more than capable of destroying us -or at least disabling us for several centuries to come. Our styles of combat are incompatible, but they have no need to change. They won last time, so we must improve to overcome them this time._

 _But what would make us different from them, then?_ questioned Hymen, _Why would our goals deserve to persevere?_

 _Because they're our goals._ the spirit laughed, _We can't be struck by hypocrisy. This is the way mortals have done things for decades; This is what our magic caused. We can't make ourselves exempt from it._

 _This is the new world._ Hermaphroditus said with finality, _We can either join it in hopes of solving the problems we created, or we can leave and watch it fall apart._

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The Greeks, Romans, and Amazons all held hands with the Olympians and any minor gods with enough power to help. Flashing around a thousand people even a short range would be a great burden to a single god, but this many should make it easier.

Athena was the one to lead the entire operation -getting that many people to hold hands in the correct chain was no easy task, and the gods had to be at certain intervals or else the whole thing would fail.

"Three . . . two . . . one!" called the Goddess of Wisdom, and golden light made the night day from the mixed energies of over two dozen gods and goddesses. When it all cleared, the demigods were gone.

The demigods and legacies landed right in the middle of Camp Half-Blood, one unfortunate Roman even being deposited straight into a fire.

They didn't see the burned and broken cabins all around them. They didn't see that the Ampitheater was torn into pieces. They didn't see that the Big House was a smoldering wreckage.

It was a complicated piece of magic, woven by Hecate herself, all with the purpose of deceiving Olympus' own troops. Athena had known that it wasn't likely for Hades to destroy the triremes -too much work to go the extra few miles and destroy ships that were of no use against him and would have no effect on the enemy.

He obviously didn't predict something like this happening, and to be fair, neither did Athena.

So the demigods and legacies walked through the camp without incident, then walked another mile or two until they got to the Camp Half-Blood pier -Poseidon's Wharf.

Most of the Romans didn't like the idea of going on water, but Triton promised them the seas would be merciful on them.

And besides, they wouldn't be fighting between ships; No, the Romans would be using ships as they always had: A way of transporting soldiers to the enemy, where ever the enemy was.

The Greeks had four triremes total -it would take a few loads to shuttle everyone over. The combined demigod, legacy, and occasional mortal or nature spirit force bent at the oars, all working in unison to make the boats glide through the water like lean, hungry sharks.

Of course, it was the Greeks who did most of the rowing -Romans didn't have the training, and Hunters or Amazons weren't about to do something so menial when there were boys nearby to do it instead.

The triremes cut through the water easily, both daughters of Poseidon on the ships and gods of the Sea below them granting safe -and fast- passage. Time was of the essence here, despite the fact that the actual attack wouldn't begin for at least another day.

They were, however, rowing into a headwind, which slowed them considerably despite that their sail was furled.

Still, they made quick progress and landed on a bank a ways out of eyesight of the monsters.

Silent, whispered orders made the ships turn after they off-loaded the troops, to sail back to the Olympian army's main camp and load more troops -mostly more Amazons, though their battle construction-vehicles would have to stay behind with enough crew to man -or woman, rather- them.

The plan was simple: Cyclopses supported by harpies and other air spirits would lead the charge, while the rest of the forces -nature spirits, more mermen, assorted familiars and other monsters loyal to Olympus.

While they drew the monsters into a defensive arc around the camp, the Amazons, Romans, and Greeks -supported by the Hunters- would disembark and rush to create their own heavy infantry block before Prometheus realized they were there.

This, like many things, would have to be perfectly times. Too early, and enough monsters would be left in the camp to form a quick defense against the demigods and alert Prometheus immediately. Too late, and the superior numbers of the monsters would overpower the smaller number of the Olympus-loyal troops that attacked them directly.

The whirlwind of water would also have to be handled perfectly -a funnel of that power could destroy the triremes if it got too close, and do the same for the troops loyal to Olympus -and made all the more difficult with Percy's lack of sanity.

Which is why Baccina walked into Veronica's tent without asking -something that should've been impossible- and gave her a sheet of paper.

"What's this, Baccina?" asked the Police Marshal, in the midst of evacuating a certain town in Connecticut as the suspected target of a large gas pipe failure.

But the daughter of Athena just walked out without another word -like she always did.

Veronica scowled, looking it over. It was a far better plan than anything they had come up with -namely, Ava's idea of just winging it.

All around the temporary camp the demigods and legacies had set up was an aura of nervous excitement. One last battle, then they could go back home and get back to their lives. Most of them had lost friends in these two wars, but most of them were veterans of the Titan and Giant Wars and knew to not be fixated on the past.

Still, those same veterans knew they couldn't look forward to being home -there was still an army of monsters between them. Greeks sharpened swords and spears in preparation for the battle. Romans repaired their javelins, bending the soft iron head back into place. Amazons practiced in pairs, threes, and fours.

The Hunt waited -their arrows were always kept as sharp as possible, their bows perpetually kept in perfect working condition. They were confident in their skills and needed nothing more than a light stretch to keep themselves on their toes.

Baccina was going through the rest of the Hunt, looking for potential traitors like she had been doing for the last few hundred years. Pheobe muttered a prayer to Artemis under her breath. Thalia balanced a hunting knife on her finger.

Veronica sighed, leaning back from her desk. New Haven was completely evacuated -no mean feat. Maiya, Mairi, Talia, and Ava were all going over Baccina's work and showing it to Perseus just in case he could understand -and act- on it.

He couldn't, of course, but the spirits inside could and changed their own plan to match. Five daughters and legacies of Poseidon in the Hunt would be a great boon to their cause. Powerful ones too, and trained. Weak and undisciplined Hunters just didn't tend to survive through the centuries.

Miles away, Liliana and Lyra were preparing to strike at the other. In the chaos that followed the epic battle near New Haven, one of them could -and would- disappear. After that, plans would intensify.

Everything was coming together for the Greeks, Romans, and Hunters. For the Olympians, and Werewolves, this was just another step of their respective lives.

And hundreds of miles away, in Paris, Sylia was getting a very important message.

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"Daughter, I wish I knew if I would survive the battle that is coming." Vivian said, "Prometheus said his scouts reported decreased numbers of enemies, but that only means they have a trick up their sleeves."

"You can beat them, can't you?" Sylia replied desperately, "Can't you?"

"I can't say for certain, _amore_." the older _empousa_ hung her head, "I've forced myself into a corner. . . I'm sorry, daughter."

"Just leave, then!" protested her daughter, "Come back to Paris!"

"I can't. I must fight here, or Prometheus' army will be completely routed." Vivian sighed, "You need to come to America. I can sense your mate nearby, but I just can't find him yet . . . I've set up a house in New York. Take the 4:35 to 7:10 pm flight tomorrow. I've already book seats for you and two bodyguards. The rest of your luggage will be on a different flight -the witches will handle that. They'll take you to a safe house in New York."

Sylia looked at her mother with big, round eyes, "Are you sure? I'm ready?"

Vivian smiled, "You're more ready than I ever was, daughter. Find your mate, even if you never hear from me again."

"But how can you be so calm? Why are you talking like you're going to die?" Sylia asked, "Why?"

"Because I might." Vivian said simply, "I can't beat around the bush with this. If I die tomorrow, I want to go to my death knowing that I've said goodbye, and that you're in the best place I can put you. There may not be anything left of me to bury, so I need _you_ to remember me, and remember that _you_ are much more important than _me_."

"But-"

"-but nothing, _amore_. I've set the stage for you; Now it's your time to shine." Vivian looked deep into her eyes, filling them with confidence, " _You_ are and will always be the star of my life. Don't let me down."

Sylia nodded once, full of resolve now, "Okay."

"Then this is goodbye if I don't come back." Vivian kissed her fingers and pressed them to the rainbow, and her daughter mirrored the action. Then the Iris-Message broke apart and Vivian turned off the electric lamp that was hanging in the center of her tent.

The goodbyes were said; She was ready to die tomorrow. For her daughter and her future.

She would not let Sylia down, and her daughter would do the same for her.

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Athena looked through a pair of binoculars, and beside her Malcolm did the same. It was his job to strategise the battle and advise the front lines on what to do.

In front of them was a solid line of nature spirits, Cyclopes, mermen, Satyrs, and more There were a lot of them, a bit less than half the monster's number. The other half of this main army was in the air, harpies and wind spirits spiraling above them, armed with bows and Greek Fire.

Malcolm gestured to the _cornican_ Reyna had lent to him, and one short note rolled across the soon to be battlefield.

The harpies and wind spirits flew forward, dropping jars of Greek Fire laced with Imperial Gold onto the as-of-yet unsuspecting monster camp.

The results were devastating: Tents burst into green flames, and monsters burned alive. Screeches and roars of pain sounded eerily human-like, but Malcolm couldn't -and wouldn't- let it get to him. This was a game of numbers for him. The enemy had more. He needed to make them have less.

A flight of arrows swept up from the camp just as the loyalist monsters fled back to their kinsmen, most of them falling short.

The _cornican_ blew one long note, then four short ones. The marching speed, each short note a step.

The tramp of an army of thousands, all armed to the teeth, rolled across the field. Enemy monsters didn't panic yet, hurriedly putting on armor and finding weapons. They were whipped into a solid defensive arc going from the banks of the river, across and in front of their camp, and back to the bank. It was a solid defensive pose, the river preventing any large scale flanking maneuver.

It was a fatal mistake.

"Order three." Malcolm ordered calmly, sizing up the situation.

The _cornican_ blew three short notes, and the army of Olympus broke into a run. Arrows from the heavens rained down on the enemy monsters, hitting their shields and armor. Few penetrated, but more jars of Greek Fire had a much greater effect.

Still, Olympus was greatly outnumbered in terms of boots on the ground.

Unseen by the enemy monsters were four triremes gliding through the water like sharks.

On the bow of the first one, six figures stood.

The daughters, legacies, and son of Poseidon were divided into two groups of three: Ava, Veronica, and Perseus on one side while Talia, Mairi, and Maiya were on the other. Ava's, Veronica's, Talia's, Mairi's, and Maiya's weapons were all crossed in the center, but Percy's blade -clapsed in a fist that was duct-taped together- was fastened midway down Veronica's spear with more duct-tape.

It was Veronica's job to focus and restrain Percy's condition and present his power in a usable form. She was also, unfortunately, the Erotes' conduit for taking over the other girls. They weren't acting yet, but they would be after the outcome of the battle was certain.

"Three . . . two . . . one!" Veronica shouted over the spray of river water that crept into the air. She concentrated, summoning the power of the sea from inside and channeling it through the shaft of her spear. Inevitably, some of it crept down Riptide and it awakened Percy's own reserve of magic.

It hit Veronica like a tidal wave, and she was nearly sent reeling. He was powerful, certainly more powerful than her . . . and perhaps more powerful than even Liliana.

Still, the daughter of Poseidon narrowed her eyes. Controlling another person's will would never be an easy thing. History had made that abundantly clear, after all, but Veronica was used to ordering people around and wouldn't take no for an answer.

As a Police Marshal, she _demanded_ solutions. She _made_ the people under her command keep organized under any circumstances. She knew how to predict the unpredictable movements of a drunk driver or high robber. She knew the criminally insane and ones that were too disabled to ever be a part of society.

And she knew how to control them. But that wouldn't apply here; All it would do is help her understand this half-brother of hers.

Veronica forced her will on his power, bringing it under _her_ control. It wasn't easy -it writhed under her grasp, as if trying to get free, but she wouldn't let it and channeled it down her spear as well. That was stretching the limits of her weapon.

The wind noticeably picked up, and the center of the Hunter's crossed weapons glowed with pure blue light. Hundreds of feet away, the water started swirling. This wouldn't a small, personal hurricane like the ones they had summon in the path. This one would be colossal, raging, and capable of tearing apart whatever was left of the monster's camp. It would be especially lethal once pieces of wreckage on fire were swept up -Greek Fire didn't care about water.

Some of the Greeks privately wished there weren't sharks in the river -there weren't, of course.

Water started swirling, getting closer to the bow of the triremes, and Ava dropped out of the mix -as the weakest one, she would be the one to keep the ships safe from the force of the storm. Daughters and legacies of Zeus and Jupiter would do the same, shielding the triremes in a protective bubble of air.

The massive funnel of water passed right over the now-terrified Romans and the slightly less-terrified-but-still-scared-out-of-their-mind Greeks, the Amazons looking unimpressed. The Hunt, meanwhile, acted like this was a regular day in the park.

Percy looked over the battlefield, laughing in joy. It was a giant field, with bunnies. Flowers were swirling from the sky, and the bunnies relished in the colors. Then _things_ appeared, both in front of him and at the other end. Strange, deformed humanoids, twisted and evil. They entered the field in a massive wave, and the bunnies began dying. Pure white fur being speckled with dark red blood as they died in droves.

Percy snarled in anger, trying to direct the flowers to fall on these wretched _things_.

Veronica gasped as something _pushed_ against her control. Percy didn't like this. She tensed, then closed her eyes and _forced_ the presence back -but it kept trying to break free and wrest control over the funnel away from her.

The Police Marshall gritted her teeth -she had centuries of experience over this son of Poseidon. She would _not_ lose this battle.

The Amazons jumped off the boats silently, sneaking through the camp with cat-like silence. Prometheus hadn't left the river completely unwatched -but the Hunters took out the sentries from the opposite bank.

Just as quietly, the Amazons formed their fighting formation -a long arc composed of different types of fighters at each section. In the center were big, beefy fighters who had forgone the traditional leather armor for heavier, metal armor, huge shields, and massive axes, morningstars, and the like. Brutes that would take the brunt of the fighting.

A either side of them were two phalanxes with locked shields. Most of the monsters, without the drilling or years of training needed to field of phalanx of their own, shied away from the spears and instead when funneled themselves right into the even heavier infantry in the middle.

Meanwhile, on the outside of the arc, were two groups of light infantry to protect the flanks -the sword-fighters, agile and armored in leather to maximize speed and dexterity.

It was a very, _very_ effective system, and could be augmented by any ranged weapons right behind the arc, protected by it's long reach. In this case, children of Apollo, Amazons with javelins, and Hunters dropped off in the next load of troops.

Lastly, the Greek warships dropped off the Greek and Roman front-line fighters. They would be a reserve, reinforcing the lines of the Amazons where needed.

Malcolm raised the binoculars to his eyes, searching just past the monster troops that were currently winning a battle of attrition against 'his' own forces. That would soon change.

"Order two." he commanded.

The _cornican_ blew the long, then four short again, and the Amazons marched forward. The first real sound since they formed up.

The tramping of an army.

Monsters in the back rank turned, but were shot down by the Hunters. It didn't last long, but those extra few seconds were all the Amazons needed to _slam_ into the back of the monster line.

The spears of the phalanxes reached the monsters first, of course, and pierced right through the lighter armored backs of the enemies. Then the back ranks turned, all at once, and did their best to make a defensive line against this new attacker.

Prometheus cursed bitterly -this surprise attack was costing him dearly. He could win this still, if he directed the troops nearest to the river to curl inward, flanking the Amazon force that flanked _him_.

His own horn-blower was dead already, but he wouldn't been much help anyways.

Prometheus turned to his own messengers -wild Centaurs, "Order the outer ranks to turn inward on one long blast."

They bowed and raced off. The Titan sighed; He could foresee it clearly now. Either this attack would work, and he would be victorious, or it would not, and he would be defeated.

He couldn't take Vivian and run, either. She was at the front of the fighting, inspiring his troops with her single-minded killing. Or so he thought.

Malcolm saw Centaurs racing out from the center, and knew it could only be for one thing: Prometheus was trying to out-flank the Amazons.

The son of Athena calmly took the binoculars from his eyes, "Order five."

* * *

 **A/N: Surprisingly, Google Maps did _not_ have travel times from Camp Half-Blood, New York to New Haven, Connecticut by trireme. You need to step up your game, Google.**

 **Please review, follow, or/and favorite. It really makes my day.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Happy late Thanksgiving.**

Chapter 18:

* * *

 _The son of Athena calmly took the binoculars from his eyes, "Order five."_

One long, sonorous note followed by three short blasts carried far across the battlefield, making the Greeks and Romans split to the edges of the Amazon's arc.

Malcolm knew there were two possibilities for Prometheus' counter-attack:

He would form a wedge of heavy infantry to break through the Amazon's lines.

Or he could try and out-flank the warrior women.

Now, when the monsters tried to curl inward to get around the Amazons' lines, they met Greeks already arrayed in their phalanx and Romans with shields locked and waiting.

Waves of _pilae_ and flights of arrows stalled the undisciplined monster army for another few seconds, and after that jars of Greek Fire were thrown as well.

Meanwhile, back of the triremes, the Erotes waited until the daughters and legacies of Poseidon were _almost_ completely exhausted, then swarmed across the Celestial Bronze, enchanted silver, and Imperial Gold metals of the Hunter's weapons, taking them all in seconds.

They had marshaled all of their power for this event, using their -admittedly minor- influence to lessen the divide between the spirits of love and the chaste Hunters. It was a crude fix, but given that many of the girls weren't even _alive_ when the Erotes were captured, it worked.

Telepathic conversations took place in each Hunter's head, challenging age-old beliefs and converting them, ever so slowly, to the Erotes' side.

Back on the battlefield, the outer edge of the monster mob crashed into the protected flanks of the Amazons, and Prometheus knew he had lost.

He bet everything on this, and it failed. He could see servants of the air in the sky to prevent him from flashing away, even. He was caught like a mouse in a trap.

He was done for.

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The Greeks and Romans slowly broke through either flank of the Titan's mob, and now the monsters were surrounded by the forces of Olympus. They weren't getting any ideas from the headquarters, and they could see their friends falling to the weapons of the demigods, mermen, nature spirits, legacies, and other monsters.

They didn't have the discipline of the Romans, or the fighting spirit of the Greeks. Not even the skill of the Hunters, nor the loyalty of the Cyclopes and mermen, nor the peace of mind of the dryads and nymphs.

Then, as all undisciplined armies do at one point, they fell apart. Random groups tried to break out of the tightening noose of the armies of Olympus, and were cut down in short order. Others froze in fear, but that didn't spare them from disintegration. Others still threw down their weapons in surrender, but the Hunt's arrows found their throats. If they were let go, they'd just make trouble later.

In the midst of the clashing armies was a much more intense duel.

Vivian, with twin daggers splashed in the blood of demigods, faced off against Artemis, the goddess' blades caked with dust.

Vivian smiled, exposing blood-soaked teeth, then raised her daggers to the sky, "For Sylia!"

She charged, driving back Artemis for a time with a series of short jabs.

She was good. Really good.

Not as good as Artemis.

The goddess' knives flickered silver, morphing into a two-handed silver spear.

Artemis spun the spear, the silver spearhead forcing Vivian to back up a jump at a time. Then it ended.

Vivian's foot landed on a pile of dust, slipping out from under her while Artemis leapt, the spear changing from silver to wood mid-flight before stabbing it down -piercing Vivian's heart and the ground below it, too.

Then Artemis spun, bow in hand, to pick off a hellhound that was creeping up on her from behind, as if Vivian was nothing but a pesky fly to be swatted.

Vivian gasped, feeling her arms and legs become dust. She wouldn't reform for another few centuries at least, and a few millenia at most.

"I'm sorry, Sylia." she gasped out, then her head was gone as well.

Artemis picked up the spear, changing it back to two hunting knives to continue her dusty work.

The combined demigod/monster/Amazon force quickly destroyed their demoralized enemy, and Prometheus was confronted by what was left of the Olympian council.

"I surrender."

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"Demigods and legacies of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter!" Jupiter's voice boomed across the field where the surviving demigods of both camps were arrayed. Around two hundred, total, "You have done well to fight in this war. It did not come without cost. During his retreat, Hades destroyed both camps and New Rome. Some escaped. Many did not. And now the duty falls to you, all of you, to return and rebuild your homes. This is the final task of victory! Go forth and build the homes you are proud of. That is all."

Jupiter disappeared seconds before his words sunk in.

Looks of shock and horror were exchanged all across the field they were gathered in, and all at once, chaos reigned.

"They should have been told sooner." Hestia observed. She hadn't been seen since the destruction of the camps, presumably re-gathering her strength after the ruin of two important parts of her domain.

"We couldn't risk going into battle with that much of a morale blow." Athena replied, "It is better this way."

"Still, the smarter ones will soon realize the gods were deceiving them. The bold ones will take action."

"Why? Can't they see that is was for the good of all?" Athena sighed, "I suppose this is why gods and mortals will never understand each other."

"Gods _do_ have that cold, timeless perspective. We simply don't realize the importance of each mortal life." the goddess of the hearth waved a hand, and the image of the Greeks and Romans disappeared, a new one taking it's place, "Except for her."

This view appeared to come from inside of a fire, and looked upon rows of bodies in silver clothing.

"Is that why the Hunt is so dedicated? I do not believe even ten Hunters have left for love since it's founding." asked the Goddess of Wisdom.

"They are loyal to Artemis because Artemis is loyal to them. She is the unattainable standard they all look up to and try to reach, but never can. That is when she reaches down to them, and they bask in the splendor of her skills and presence." Hestia said, "More importantly, she gives them a home that they know they will always have. For untold years."

"A drive and a home? I _still_ cannot see how those two have made up for superior numbers and technology in the past."

"Is that why you are so interested in Perseus? A man who now has no home and no drive, as you would say?" questioned Hestia.

"It was a major part of my consideration, yes." answered Athena, "And you? You never gave a reason for helping the demigod."

"A good friend of mine asked me to." Hestia replied, a note of sadness coloring her voice.

"Who? Demeter?"

"No." Hestia stood, stretching, "I have to leave."

Athena watched as the goddess flashed away, pondering this new information. Hestia was always content to watch from the fireside, rarely taking action. There were only two goddesses she was close to: Demeter, before she "died", and Artemis.

There was no way for either of them to ask Hestia to take action before she climbed out of the fire the first time.

So who was it?

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"So you are saying that we should repair Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter, and New Rome." Zeus stated calmly.

Athena nodded, once, "The demigods feel betrayed. We manipulated the Mist to deceive them, and we kept great secrets from them."

Zeus growled, "Why do they matter? I am the King! They should be _bowing_ to me!"

"Be that as it may, they are still our instruments in the world. In the Dark Ages -and with Dark Age beliefs- the way we treated them did not matter. These ones have grown up differently in America. They are used to freedom of expression and speech, and it threatens the system unless we can make _them_ happy."

"They would revolt?" Zeus asked disbelievingly.

"Not all at once, no. But mutters will grow when our backs -as Olympians- are turned. They could start doing quests reluctantly, and when we cannot punish them for it, they may even stop. If you try to force them, they would revolt." Athena sighed, "We need them. They do not need us."

Zeus stood from his throne, "If it wasn't for us, Typhon would have-"

"-killed us. Do you see where the problem is? They've kept Olympus safe, and we've done very little to very few people in return." Athena scowled, "Also, if it wasn't for us, Typhon wouldn't even have been _freed_. Do you honestly think Kronos would summon him if the Titan was only facing demigods? No. Then look at it this way: The demigods stopped us for going to war with each other, and we brushed them off. Their borders are failing, the ones _your daughter_ sacrificed herself to bolster, and only Hermes lifted a finger. They rescue one of our own, and we vote whether to _kill_ two ofthem?"

"They've done all of this out of their free will, and we've given them nothing in return. Perseus' wish at the end of the Titan War: Don't kill turned demigods and accept all demigods. Because it's really hard to _not_ kill someone. And we didn't even _help_ the demigods raise their cabins."

"Of course we wouldn't! The role of demigods is to serve us and do our bidding! We sired them! We own them!" Zeus thundered.

"Tell that to _them_. They don't care what _you_ think their role is. Americans don't like kings." Athena's voice was hard, "If what is happening with Perseus comes to light, I don't want to think of what will happen. He killed people and was punished -very harshly. But now, killing him for fighting for _you_ would not be a good idea."

"No. We will reward the demigods for their valor by restoring the camps. But the Council _will_ be voting to put Perseus to justice." This was one of Zeus' fatal flaws: stubbornness, "I cannot let Hades' domains fall into Perseus' hands. He is a menace that can kill gods! We must put an end to him."

"Giving Perseus the domains of the Dead and the Underworld may not be such a bad idea. By right of combat, they are already his." Athena replied, "He _is_ loyal to Olympus. If he swears an oath on the Styx, surely-"

"No! He will be executed!" Zeus roared, "Leave me! Now!"

"As you wish." Athena left the throne room, shaking her head slightly. She could sense the rule of Zeus coming to an end. Not even the strongest dictator can rule by killing their subjects.

Still, at least Zeus would be putting it to a vote.

Athena flashed away, going straight to the graveyard where the Hunt's fallen sisters rested. The funeral was just about over, so the goddess pulled Artemis away for a brief discussion.

"Zeus still wishes to kill Perseus."

Artemis sighed, "It could be better that way. All we've done so far is hurt him further."

Athena grabbed Artemis' shoulder, "No. I know you've lost Hunters recently, but the last time you got into this mood it took two hundred years and one of your Hunters nearly dying to get you out of it. Stop thinking about what you've lost and start protecting what you have. Your Hunters are going to need you to be strong, even if you don't feel it."

Artemis closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, "You're right. We can save him. That won't be for much if he still isn't sane, though."

"I know. I still cannot think of any other way of healing him other than the most potent cures. I trust that you have Persephone handled?"

"Yes. She should be brought to Olympus in chains soon." Artemis replied distractedly, "I showed Perseus the hat after the battle, but he didn't have any reaction. At all."

"Strange." Athena furrowed her eyebrows, clearly thinking, but then decided to leave it off for another time, "Do you know of Hestia having any "old friends" besides yourself and Demeter?"

Artemis shook her head, "No. She's been spending a lot of time in Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. She could've gotten to know someone there."

"I thought the Ancient Laws forbade that."

Artemis shrugged, "They must not."

"Things are changing much too fast. First, two major gods die and another is close to it. Now the Ancient Laws are shifting." Athena shook her head, "A demigods with the power to kill gods, who may even become a major god himself. Perhaps he will even have a seat on the Council. I doubt Persephone will be given one if she inherits Demeter's domains."

"That would imbalance the council even more. There would be eight males and four females." Artemis scowled.

"I suppose we must move with the times or fall behind." Athena turned away, "I cannot help but think there will be many more changes ahead."

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"Heroes!" Zeus boomed at the head of the diminished Council. Demeter's throne was empty, and Triton sat in his father's place.

In the middle stood the heroes of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter . . . the surviving ones, at least. Jason Grace, Piper McLean, Clarisse la Rue, Chris Rodriguez, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, Frank Zhang, Micheal Kahale, and Hank Bloch.

Hylla and two other Amazons were here as well, along with the top brass of Hunters -excluding Liliana-, Tyson and his aides in command, Grover, and Aeolus. The mermen would be represented by Triton, of course. Jason was kneeling, along with the other Romans, but no one else was.

These people commanded the entire army of Olympus. Everyone who was anyone was here.

Most of them were grouped in the center, a notable exception being the Hunters, who sat at the base of Artemis' throne, and the Amazons, who clustered around Hera's.

"You have all shown valor during these past two years, and you will all be rewarded from the generosity of Olympus!" The King of the Gods stood, "My son, Jason Grace, and his cohorts in the leadership of Camp Half-Blood, step forward!"

Jason stood from the spot he had been kneeling in, and moved closer before kneeling again. Piper followed his example, while Clarisse stood tall and Chris did beside her. Kneeling to someone besides Ares just wasn't in her blood.

Unfortunately, Zeus saw this as defiance -but that would have to wait, "The demigods of Camp Half-Blood fought well and were victorious. By my command, your cabins will be restored to their former states. In addition, my son's statue will adorn the entrance to this throneroom."

With the crackle of thunder, Jupiter took his place, "Reyna Ramirez-Arellano and her colleagues in ruling, step forward!"

They did the same thing Jason did, kneeling before their king.

"Rome has lost much during this war, but the discipline and might you instill your troops with does credence to your power to support my son in his triumphs. Both New Rome and Jupiter will be rebuilt to shine with the glory of the Empire!"

From their kneeling position, the four Romans bowed and stepped back.

"Hylla Ramirez-Arellano and her consorts in command, come forward."

The Amazons, three total, didn't bow at all, but Jupiter's anger was mitigated by the knowledge that they had his wife's support, and Juno would never turn against him.

"The Amazons showed bravery and courage in coming to the rescue of the surrounded Romans to aid in Jason's victory. In light of their skill and sacrifices, we will bestow minor goddess-ship on their Queen so she may lead eternally."

Jason's eyes widened, and Reyna gasped. Similar expressions were heard all around the room.

Hylla herself seemed stunned, but bowed in thanks and stepped back.

"Tyson, and his aids in authority, approach."

Tyson, Briares -who had gotten a recent promotion- and two other Cyclopses stepped forward and did their best to kneel.

"The Cyclopes also performed reliably to support my son in these battles. Their leader, Tyson, will have his statue on Olympus!"

Tyson's mouth dropped, then he nodded very quickly. So quickly it looked like his head would fall off. But Briares took him back before he could make a fool of himself.

"Grover, Lord of the Wild, approach my throne." Zeus commanded.

The poor Satyr, whose knees were visibly knocking together, scampered up and nearly fell over trying to kneel. His anatomy made that task difficult, however.

"The nature spirits and Satyrs provided reasonable support for the victorious forces under my son. Because of that and the recent . . . contests of leadership in the Wild, I grant Grover the right to choose _three_ more Lords or Ladies of the Wild and raise his title to King of the Wild."

Again Grover fainted, but Juniper dragged him away quickly.

"Aeolus, Master of the Winds, step forward."

The madman who had gotten a _little_ more sane after Gaia's defeat, also didn't kneel.

"The spirits of the air were the second most effective in the final assault on Prometheus' forces, following the men under Jason's command. For their skill and bravery, your wish, Aeolus, will be granted. You will be Aeolus, minor God of the Winds."

Aeolus pumped his fist and did a little dance, his hair becoming undone as he skipped back to the crowd. Or tried to -people tended to back up when someone more cosmetics than not approaches.

"Triton, son and heir of Poseidon, step forward." Zeus ordered.

Triton shrunk himself as he stood from his throne so he would be at the same height as the sitting Zeus.

"Should Poseidon fade, you will inherit both his status as a major god _and_ his seat on the council." Zeus said.

Meanwhile, Athena was watching this all. A pathetic and unsubtle attempt to buy favors with each of the factions of the army, completely ruined by saying _Jason_ won the war and everyone else was support.

At least he followed her advice, no matter how much he twisted it.

Once Triton returned to his throne, Zeus stood, "Aeolus and Hylla, stand to receive your reward."

Neither of them had been kneeling in the first place.

The rest of the Olympians -all ten of them, Triton didn't have the power to participate- stood, and their hands glowed gold -the color of their blood.

Aeolus and Hylla started to glow as well, as their blood changed color and power filled their bodies.

"Rise, Aeolus, God of the Winds and Air, and Hylla, Goddess of Battles and Heroines."

Reyna began applauding them, -well, Hylla- and Jason joined in, along with the rest of the demigods.

Zeus smiled -the Amazons would be grateful to him, along with many others. His reign was secure.

Little did he know his reputation would take a great plummet.

"There is one other matter that must be vote on. Artemis, bring out the Enemy of Olympus." Zeus ordered coldly.

Artemis scowled, but a wave of her hands summoned Perseus, bound and crazy, into the center of the Throneroom of the Gods.

The room was silent, except for the maniacally broken giggles that seemed to flow from Perseus non-stop.

Athena rolled her eyes -they had already voted on this in the Underworld. This would be humiliating at best for Zeus, and revolutionizing at worst.

"This is the trial of Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, Enemy of Olympus, who attacked the entire Ares Cabin, killing nine, and also attacked -and killed a god- along with needlessly sacrificing the Ophiotaurus. He is a threat to Olympus, and insane besides." Zeus said darkly, "Dionysus, clear his muddled mind so he may defend himself properly."

Dionysus snored from his throne.

"DIONYSUS!" Zeus thundered, nearly breaking the eardrums of everyone there.

The God of Revelry jerked up, rubbing his head, "The sea brat? Ugh."

The god stood and laid a massive hand on the son of Poseidon's head, concentrating. Purple energy gathered around him for a time, but after a few seconds Dionysus stumbled backwards.

"What!?" demanded Zeus.

"I-I couldn't."

"Regardless, this entire trial is useless." Athena said, "The god that he killed was none other than Hades, an Enemy of Olympus himself, and we have already meted out his punishment for killing the sons and daughters of Ares, which he is currently serving."

Just after, Artemis spoke as well, "I will not tolerate you punishing one of mine without my consent, which you _do not_ have. I gave Perseus the order to sacrifice the Ophiotaurus and put an end to Hades. The male is not to blame."

The demigods below added their own endorsement, but that came second place to the battle of wills going on between Zeus, Athena, and Artemis. Unlike _certain_ parts of the Council -cough, Aphrodite and Dionysus, cough- they were well-respected for their intelligence and skill with weapons. No one wanted to get on either of their bad side, and both combined made it so much worse.

Zeus growled in discontentment -could only he see how much of a threat this son of Poseidon was?

"Take him away. When he regains his sanity, this trial will be resumed. Should there be a need, he will be executed prior to that. Council dismissed."

Artemis waved her hand, and Perseus disappeared immediately, along with herself. The other Olympians left as well, Aphrodite and Ares going to celebrate another victory while Hephaestus was smiling slightly -not something that happened often.

Hermes changed into his tracksuit before leaving, and Dionysus was the sole god who stayed behind, still snoring.

Back in his palace, Zeus growled, "How can they defy me like this? Have they forgotten my power?"

"Be calm, my love." Hera replied, holding his left arm in both of hers, "They are not doing anything to subvert you, they simply wish to save Perseus. He clearly means much to them. They do not believe he will be a threat."

"But how do they _know_ , wife? He took no oath on the Styx. He killed a major god, even, and tried to kill other demigods as well."

"But does that not mean they must have a very, very good reason to trust him not to do the same to them?" Hera asked, "His fatal flaw is loyalty, after all."

"To whom? Hades was his master for much longer than the time he spent in the Hunt. Is his loyalty so changeable?"

"He worked for Demeter longer than he did for Hades. It would make sense that he would try to save her." suggested the Goddess of Marriage.

Zeus buried his face in his hands, "And that is another problem. Two empty seats in the Council. I do not believe Poseidon will hang on for much longer, but the other? Athena tells me that the Hunters have successfully captured Persephone, Demeter's heir."

"Persephone is Demeter's heir? I thought she was disinherited." Hera said, furrowing her eyebrows in thought.

Then she flashed away, coming back with a document sealed in a glass case.

 _Last Will and Testament_

 _Of_

 _Ceres Demeter_

Zeus scanned the document, his eyes experienced from reading millions of official documents, and quickly picked out the name he wanted,

"Perseus Jackson?"

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Liliana looked over her shoulder, extending her senses -augmented by years of being in the Hunt, and her more recent conversion to being a werewolf. She was alone.

"Iris, connect me to Artemis." she whispered, and the rainbow she summoned shimmered to reveal Artemis standing in front of her bound -and traitorous- brother, "I have bad news."

Artemis looked over, "What is it?"

"The werewolves are moving away from you all."

"How is that bad?" Artemis asked, running through possibilities.

"They're heading north-northwest."

Artemis swore, "Could it be a coincidence?"

"I don't think so. Lyra said she was sure we would find something to cripple the Hunt with if we headed that way."

Artemis closed her eyes, the list of options open to her at the moment becoming smaller and smaller, "We'll have to move up and defend it."

"That's not the worst of it. Monsters have joined them."

"Which kinds?"

"Humanoids. _Dracaenae_ and Telekhines, mostly. These aren't like the other you just fought, either. They're well-armed, well-disciplined, and well-trained. Orion himself tutored them."

"I was hoping he died when Reyna defeated him."

"Wouldn't that be nice? She thought she could kill a son of Poseidon by drowning him. Do you still have those vials of poison?"

"Taken from the scorpion that killed him the first time, yes." Artemis answered, "If I could get you the poison, could you kill him?"

Liliana smiled, "You don't need to ask. Just order. I'll do the rest."

"Are you in a safe place?"

"No one is around for miles."

"Good." Artemis held out her palm, and three small vials appeared, then disappeared. Liliana quickly pocketed them. Then Artemis gave her another item, a page with sixty-three names on it -the casualties from both wars.

Liliana's eyes went cold as she looked it over, "Thank you, my lady. I will not fail you."

"I know."

* * *

 **A/N: This will probably end up backfiring horribly, but according to the myths, Poseidon and a mortal were Orion's parents. In _The Blood of Olympus_ , it was Gaia and Tartaurus, supposedly, and yet Orion didn't inherit the dragon legs -so I have an excuse to say Poseidon was Orion's father after all.**

 **Also, would Perseus taking Demeter's domains make him slightly overpowered? I already have him taking Hades' domains.**

 **Please review -without your feedback, I can't make this story any better.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I still don't get the Ancient Laws. I mean, no interfering with the lives of mortals? Excuse me? You can't interfere, but you can impregnate them or dump a baby on their doorstep? Hades could capture Sally Jackson without repercussions as well. How?**

Chapter 19-

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Baccina frowned as she got deep into the Daedulus Laptop's inner workings. She was something of a software genius -she was at the birth of computers and had researched them heavily.

Niccolo's daughter had made good use of immortality, becoming an expert in as many things as she possibly could, and this was the era of technology.

But this astounded her. It was Linux from what she could tell, but from there all similarities ended. The coding language was alien to her, looking like a mix of all coding languages rolled together -something that should've been impossible to compile and run. But it worked brilliantly. The amount of both RAM and hard disk space both had infinity symbols next to them, and that wasn't the worst yet.

The worst -or best- thing about it was when Baccina tried to damage the kernel -after backing it up, of course- the coding changed without her input, fixing the problem she inserted and wiping it out completely. When Baccina tried to download a virus, it not only blocked in and gave the "we just blocked a virus" pop-up, when she clicked on it, the anti-malware program showed the virus itself and what exactly what it would've done.

This laptop was ahead of it's time in every way.

One last, very rudimentary test.

On the title screen of _Elder Tale_ , an MMORPG that was one of her few guilty pleasures, she got an expected five-hundred FPS. Playing it with all settings maxed . . . . it was still five-hundred FPS. No change.

Baccina frowned. Five hundred. Why? For some reason, no matter what she ran -or how many- the frame rate never changed.

It didn't seem like that much of a problem, so after another hour or so of monkeying around, she snuck back into Perseus' tent and returned it. That male had _plenty_ of interesting objects in his possession.

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The next day, five Hunters returned to the camp . . . of the fifteen Artemis had sent. But they did their job, and with them was Persephone, bound hand and foot in Celestial Bronze cuffs.

Everyone cheered as they climbed out of their "borrowed" black SUV, pushing the traitorous goddess to the ground in front of them.

Artemis stepped forward, taking Persephone by the arm and flashing away, already listing out the Hunters they lost in that mission.

"How was it?" Thalia asked.

"Hard. Sif and Jewel had to draw off the guards. They didn't come back." replied Pheobe, leader of the mission, "Persephone killed Ayn, Sheela, and Ellyn before we brought her down. The rest of us stayed behind to keep an eye on the skeletons and find Sif and Jewel."

The assembled Hunters who were listening to Pheobe's story sighed in relief -ten Hunters survived, not five.

After that, the Hunt split up -the five Hunters who returned went to their tents for a nap, while everyone else went back to practicing and honing their skills, doing the chores that Perseus could no longer, and taking breaks of their own.

The war was nothing more than a bump in their system; A break from the endless war with Lycaon.

Still, they lost a lot of men -women, rather- in these battles, but that meant they would have to fight all the harder in the attacks they knew Lycaon would send.

A few hours later, Artemis flashed down again -Persephone was to be kept in the Hunt's prison until Demeter's domains were inherited. That was why she opened the Prison, Persephone's right arm clasped in an iron grip, and discovered something terrible.

It was empty.

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Artemis cursed, throwing Persephone into one of the cells before walking away . . . but she made one crucial mistake: The cell the Queen of the Underworld inhabited was shared by the buried body of Hedyloges' host -and the floor was dirt.

It wouldn't have mattered in any other scenario, because after a certain depth was the unbreakable floor of the tent. The prisoners kept here couldn't dig their way out . . . but a certain dead host could be reanimated and claw it's way to the surface.

Persephone carefully passed it's bones, one by one, through the gaps in the bars and laid them in a pile outside the cell door, then reanimated them with a very basic command: Retrieve the keys.

Artemis had long since left by the time Persephone unlocked herself, then proceeded to dig up all the hosts in all the rooms, providing her with a small -but hopefully potent- force of servants.

She couldn't escape while the tent was reduced in size -the whole thing was encased in Celestial Bronze to prevent any one from flashing away- but the next person who expanded it would be sorry.

So Persephone, powers only bound by the constraints of the Prison Tent, settled down for a long wait.

She would give anything to summon a chair or sofa to sit on, but sadly there weren't components for such a construct inside the tent -unless she wanted to sleep on concrete.

Still, that was a minor discomfort, and the Queen of the Dead could deal with it.

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Liliana crouched, looking into the Pack's encampment from far away. There were more Pack members that Hunters on any given day, though they were of lesser quality. The problem was that while there were previously two hundred and fifty Werewolves to around two hundred Hunters, after the wars the Hunters numbered around one-fifty.

And then there were the monsters. The differences were easy to spot from a distance: An orderly camp, alert sentries, uniform equipment, siege weapons and artillery, even.

They were clearly several levels of skill better than the ragtag army of monsters Kronos, the Giants, or Prometheus had ever led . . . and they more than doubled the Pack's size.

Even worse was the massive humanoid in it's own tent: Orion, the son of Poseidon and Gaia. While thankfully not blessed with Antaeus' healing powers, he had an arguably worse fate. Orion wasn't like the other Giants, due to his mixed parentage. Even a demigod and a god together couldn't kill him.

He could only be killed by a certain type of scorpion poison, from a scorpion only Gaia herself could summon.

The good thing was that the scorpion's venom was extremely potent, so Artemis ended up collecting as much of it as possible, and diluting it so it was barely lethal -just to have the most use out of a limited amount of poison.

It was, at least, instantly lethal to Orion. If any of it entered his bloodstream, he would die immediately.

The problem was how to get it there: During the final battle of the Olympian-Prometheus war, Lyra successfully led a coup that chased Liliana and all of her sympathizers into the wilderness -and Lily wasn't sure if anyone else survived.

Artemis had given her three small vials of the scorpion venom -the goddess certainly had more, much more, but three vials was more than enough.

Liliana strung her bow and morphed into her wolf form -brown with dappled spots- and raced down from her vantage point.

Orion would be exiting his camp in a few minutes to check on the sentries -she would strike then if she had the opportunity, or else quietly sneak into his tent and wait there.

The daughter of Poseidon crept into the camp, sticking to the shadows where no one would look. She had some success masking her scent by sustaining a thin layer of water surrounding her body -she should smell like a water barrel, the monsters had plenty of those.

No amount of shadow would hide her from Orion's eyes, however, so she crept around the corner of an adjacent tent to block the Giant's view.

Then she froze, more scents hitting her.

Orion, Lyra, and Lycaon all exited his tent together.

Not odds she wanted to face any time soon. Still, she could pick up snippets of conversation.

"Liliana won't be returning -she'll want to return to her Hunt and gather forces for a counterattack." Lyra said, "Fortunately, you came after we forced her out. She should have no idea you're here."

"Then the Hunt has no idea, either." Orion snarled.

"No. My agent in the Hunt hasn't reported anything of the kind."

"Agent?" Lycaon growled, "You used to have two."

"One of them is not in a position to be conversing or fulfilling any duties, according to my other agent." replied the Alpha Female, "She is currently taking a more . . . passive role."

Liliana's eyebrows furrowed -it wasn't like Lyra to give away that big of a hint as to her sympathizer's identity, though his gender was lied about. There would have to be time for pondering that later, though.

After sneaking into Orion's tent and killing his concubine -a werewolfess "given" to him by Lycaon- she hid under the bed.

Checking on the sentries would take no more than twenty minutes, and she was prepared to wait much longer should the werewolves have another task for the pseudo-Giant.

Patience was a virtue.

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Artemis ran a hand through her hair -she wouldn't gain anything by making a broad announcement to the whole Hunt. The traitor would escape easily, and all would be for naught -if the traitor was even still here . . . and alive.

But that meant finding the traitor almost by hand. She at least had one ally in this, though. Baccina Machiavelli was very, very good at rooting out the most likely people to betray the Hunt and always acted in what she believed to be the Hunt's best interests -she wouldn't have been the one to release the Erotes in the first place.

Which is how the daughter of Athena ended up sitting across from the daughter of Zeus and Leto in Artemis' tent.

Baccina listened keenly as Artemis explained all she knew, stepping in afterwards to raise a point the goddess apparently hadn't thought of, "How well do you regulate access to Perseus?"

Artemis cocked her head, "Not at all."

"So any half-competent Hunter could, say, pretend to ask for your help, innocuously brush against Perseus on her way out, and transfer _all_ of the Erotes over to him." pointed out the daughter of Athena, "That way, she would not be caught red-handed and the spirits would be in a relatively stable place."

"Why do you think others will think of Perseus while I did not?"

"Because he's made quite an impression on many Hunters, both old and new. Many saw him work with the single-minded devotion. I don't know if you have realized this, but many of the Hunters believe him different than other males -the least of which caused by the attention you pay to him. The last time this happened was-"

"-was Hippolytos. So you're saying _because_ I keep him here, other Hunters might see the opportunity of hiding the Erotes right under my nose." Artemis scowled.

"Other Hunters -perhaps those jealous of the affection you show Perseus? There are four -no, three- lesbian Hunters. Two bisexual. The one that comes to mind out of those five is Pheobe, but would she do something like this?" Baccina asked, running through her mental database of Hunters. All of the gods and goddesses were bisexual for some reason -no one knew why.

Artemis sighed, "After being chained up for thousands of years, the Erotes could have built up enough energy to influence the outside world."

"Regardless, would you like to check Perseus' body for unwanted spirits? If we don't find any there, it will greatly increase our chances of finding the traitor."

"Very well." Artemis stood, approaching the bound son of Poseidon, and for the first time in a long while, touched his skin. There was a slight buzzing -proof that at least one Eros was in his body. More than that, Artemis couldn't tell, "They're there. At least one of them."

"Then we can narrow down the list even further. Could I retrieve my laptop?"

"Yes."

Baccina nodded, racing out of the tent and coming back with her personal computer. On it was data she valued more than her own life.

"The last time most people knew the Prison Tent existed was during the Crusades, I believe. So if we filter out those less that about eight hundred years old . . . we get this." Baccina turned her laptop, showing thirteen names, "Which three do you trust the most out of these?"

"Liliana, Elizabeth, and Christina."

Baccina moved those three to a different list, then started going forward in time a while after her own recorded death, "Here is everyone who could have heard it from the first thirteen. Myself included."

This list was about forty names long.

"So one of these is a traitor."

Baccina shook her head slightly, "No. This is the list of people _most likely_ to be the traitor. Someone younger could have been told that the Prison Tent existed, and even what it contained, but at that point they were only told not to open it. I discovered the Erotes' existence through other means."

Artemis sighed, "I've known all of these Hunters for close to half a millenium. Or more. Why would any of them turn against me?"

"Love is more powerfully than even loyalty sometimes, milady."

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Liliana waited for hours, and when Orion finally returned it looked like the Giant was half-asleep. All the better.

So when Orion called for his concubine and Liliana stood up, he was too tired and the light was too dark for him to tell the difference -using his special eyes to see in the dark would take energy that he didn't want to give. After all, he was completely safe within his own tent, and his concubine would've stopped any unwanted intruders

So when Liliana pricked him in the neck with a poisoned needle, shock didn't even register before he died.

That was the end of the great Orion -killed by a woman he went to bed with.

Fitting that his life should be bought to a close in this manner, by a Hunter, and on his own bed no less.

The son of Gaia and Poseidon dissolved into sea salt and dirt, the mechanical eyes as a spoil of victory, which Lily pocketed before heading out -wolves, and werewolves by extension, were creatures of the dawn and dusk.

Now dusk was gathering, and Liliana would be long gone by morning -along with notes of battle plans she copied while Lyra and Lycaon were away.

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Naomi burst into Artemis' tent, "Milady, Liliana is here!"

Artemis' eyes widened, her gaze switching from Perseus -where it often rested, unconsciously admiring his body- to her Hunter, "Good."

The Goddess strode outside to greet her first demigoddess -and undoubtedly most powerful- Hunter.

Liliana smirked as her lady approached, hand digging into her pocket to withdraw two metal spheres.

"He might be your bane, but he certainly isn't mine." she said, tossing the two eyes. Artemis snatched them out of the air, turning them over.

"I take it these are the spoils of war?"

"Yes, milady." replied the Hunter, "I have bad news too."

"Very well. Gather the rest of the council and meet me in my tent." she ordered, turning and re-entering her home. Artemis didn't like wasting time on congratulations with Liliana -she would get more than enough from the rest of the Hunt.

So, only minutes later, the most inner circle was gathered in Artemis' tent.

Liliana, the most powerful Hunter both in martial and mystical abilities.

Baccina, downright sneaky and callous when needed, unrivaled in her ability to gain the upper hand in any game of the mind and an uncanny ability to learn things that were meant to be secret.

Pheobe, daughter of Hephaestus and fire user -the opposite of Liliana, really. Where Lily's temper was a cold, frozen fury that would unsettle the hardiest of foes, Pheobe's fiery rage downright terrified _everyone_.

Scathach, a daughter of Ares from Ireland, almost as old as Liliana and nearly her equal in armed combat -in unarmed fighting, no one could touch her.

Panacea, who had rejected her goddess-ship in order to join the Hunt. Even so, her skill at healing was unparalleled, even better than her father's at battle wounds.

And lastly, Roz. Short for Rosabell, she was a daughter of Nike with spiky hair who, to put it quite simply, was the fastest in the Hunt. She always won any races, and her weapons, two small but sharp daggers, capitalized on that trait.

These seven -Artemis included- were the most powerful the Hunt could offer. All had lived for centuries; All had killed for centuries, in the name of their ideals. All were loyal to each other and the Hunt. Together, they could likely defeat most of the other Olympians all at once.

It was no wonder why Zeus was so afraid of an insurrection.

But that was for later; Now they had a bigger problem on their hands.

"I made notes of the Pack's -and their allies- general strategy and numbers." Liliana reported, spreading sheets of paper onto a table Artemis had summoned, "At the very least, they don't intend to go after our dead."

Baccina was the first to crunch the numbers, "We need at least a seven-to-one kill ratio on this."

"Trust me, these monsters are on a whole other level from anything we've faced before." commented the daughter of Poseidon, "These ones are disciplined, tough -and good fighters. More than that, there's an archer contingent in their forces -trained by Orion himself."

Pheobe growled, "We can still take them. Hit them with raids and let me make an inferno in the middle of their camp."

"No. The Telkhines were imprisoned for tampering with magic." Artemis replied, "If they had sufficient skill, they could both contain the inferno and drain your strength into it -and you know what happens then."

Pheobe scowled, and Baccina spoke up, "They have siege weapons effective against a conventional fortress. What about earthworks? Greek Fire and silver-tipped spikes. Everything we have. I also support the idea of sending raiding parties to slow them down."

"We could contact the Amazons and Maenads." Scathach suggested, "They both know me well, and I've left them on good terms with the Hunt."

"The Amazons wouldn't have enough silver weaponry." Baccina replied, "If we are going to fight defensively, we'll need arrows. More than we have, most likely. I'd say at least double the amount we have now."

"Do you have the money to order them from the Amazons?" Liliana asked her lady.

Artemis shook her head, "No. I used my last stipend from Olympus to restock our supplies after . . . wait here."

Artemis disappeared, gone for barely ten seconds before flashing back, "We have enough arrows."

Baccina arched an eyebrow, "How? Even with the stocks we brought back, it shouldn't nearly be what we need."

"Him." Artemis pointed to the chained son of Poseidon near the front of her tent, "A while ago, I ordered him to gather enough supplies to effectively split the Hunt, so that they would never need to resupply. Become entirely self sufficient."

Panacea's eyes widened, "He fletched _that_ many arrows?"

"I ordered him to prioritize it." Artemis sighed, "Little did I know that meant very long days and very short nights for him. We also have extra shafts, heads, feathers, and fletching equipment."

"I _could_ rent enough forces from the Amazons to use all of their silver weapons and our extras as well. If they have the bows, and we supply silver arrows, that could raise our numbers to just about five-hundred. More, if we are lucky." Baccina rubbed her temples.

"This is starting to almost sound manageable." Roz said, "I could lead the raiding parties if we aren't just delaying our doom."

Artemis gestured, and they all fell silent, "Scathach, I'll flash you to Seattle tomorrow -try to make this a favor. Baccina, draft plans for the earthworks you talked about. Roz, Pheobe, Liliana, gather three raiding parties of thirty or less. Panacea, take inventory of any medical supplies we have and expand the Medical Tent."

Artemis summoned the tent that held the supplies Perseus had been hoarding, "There are more in here. Dismissed."

The "council" of Hunters all bowed once to her -it was an age-old tradition they kept just to annoy her, and five of the seven left.

Baccina Machiavelli stayed behind.

"What will you do about the Erotes?"

"They will have to wait until the current crisis is over. I've hunted them down before; I can do so again."

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Liliana narrowed her eyes, peering through the semi-thick foliage that blocked the werewolf/monster enemies from her view. They had their guard up -a wise decision.

Still, it wouldn't help them that much.

Five Hunters on the other side of the marching army fired a volley of arrows, catching six monsters in the well-aimed spray.

The reaction was immediate: Werewolves morphed into their wolf form, charging the woods, while the monsters reformed their line, making up for the lost manpower. And the ranks closest to Liliana barely hesitated moving -these ones really _were_ good at their jobs.

Not as good as the Hunters, however.

Liliana knocked a Greek Fire-tipped arrow, motioning for the others to do the same, and fired.

A wave of flame struck the monsters, flowing into chinks in the monster's armor and burning them alive or striking deep into a werewolves' body and burning it up inside.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, the hidden Hunters aimed -and loosed- another volley at the werewolves hunting them, to great effect. One arrow usually made a werewolf annoyed; Two made it angry; Three killed it.

Once the werewolves were almost on top of them, one of the Hunters slung her bow and opened her palms, touching the thumbs and pointing her fingers at the werewolves. A wave of purple flames roared from her fingers, slamming into the werewolves and turning them into ash -along with a good portion of the forest.

Some of Circe's witches, after escaping her island, joined the Hunters. Others joined the Amazons. But for some reason, there were a lot of them who just _disappeared_.

Still, after a few more volleys, the Hunters retreated. None of them died; Few were injured. In the dust were the corpses of at least twenty assorted werewolves and monsters.

That was a success.

Then Pheobe's group hit them from the other side, reinforcing the five Hunters, and the diversion turned into a full attack that completely disrupted the monster's march. Now they were strung across in a line that bridged the gap between Pheobe's and Liliana's lines.

Thalia and a daugher of Jupiter, Alvena, held out their respective weapons. A single, large, bolt of lightning arced from the clouds, hitting their crossed weapons and streaking as the monsters, hitting five or six assorted monsters and werewolves, reducing them to dust. The seventh, a Telkine raised his shield and absorbed it all.

The Hunters had a fighting retreat on their hands, running but pausing every so often to send a volley of arrows at the enemies chasing them. This was where most of the arrows were used; Bouncing off a pursuing shield wall to make sure the shields stayed up and their march was slow.

Ros' party, meanwhile, hit the shield wall in the side, bringing it to a complete stop before they ran, as well.

At the end of the day, over sixty assorted monsters and werewolves -mostly monsters- were dead, and the worst the Hunt had suffered was a lucky javelin that caught Alvena in the arm. Panacea healed it in less than five minutes.

Baccina was directing most of the remaining Hunters to construct earthworks far ahead of the monster's advance. Jars of Greek Fire were buried, waiting to be tripped, and trenches were dug to be filled with silver-pointed spikes. She planned the earthworks to be a many-pointed star, and planned accordingly. Quivers of arrows were set on tables dispersed throughout the camp, along with extra bows.

Other traps were set as well: Buried hydra arrowheads would lash up at the monsters above them, to catch them and make them easy prey. Much further out were flares that would arc into the air, giving early warning of an attack. A much, much larger trench protected the edges of the star, and just beyond it were walls of dirt. There weren't any structures -the Hunt valued mobility to much to create a fixed firing position.

The walls of dirt grew more imposing as one went deeper into the camp, until at the very center there was a single tent. The others would be put away before any potential attack.

At least, that's what Baccina planned. As it is, they had barely started the outer wall of dirt, and no traps were set.

So the raiding parties were buying them another crucial resource: Time.

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The monsters marched on despite frequent attacks, but their pace slowed to a crawl. Lycaon opted for a permanent shield wall, and Lyra tried once again to stop the advance -she didn't have everything in place yet, and by Resuza's descriptions, Perseus wasn't getting any better.

Still, after the first few strikes the raiding parties became much less effective, causing fewer and fewer causalities, even losing a few of their own. Monsters blocked jars of Greek Fire on their shields, shrugging off the heat easily. The Hunt held off using any special arrows -they couldn't have the werewolves adapt to them yet.

Baccina sighed as she looked over the latest report from the raiders. From what she could tell, these would be much more conventional opponents than the skeletons -at least with these, you didn't have to smash their bones after you beat them.

The werewolves she knew inside and out, but these new monsters were an enigma she had to solve. Where did they come from? What exactly could they do? Their archers never exposed themselves, but the Telkhines showed great aptitude for sorcery, and they had more than a few _empousai_ to back them up.

The Hunters had a stiff fight coming, but it was one they knew well. Besides, they also held the higher ground, and had bona fide defenses to use.

They were still outnumbered by about five point seven five to one, though.

Scathach said she would be there tomorrow with three-hundred twenty seven Amazons, with all the silver weaponry the Amazons had on hand. Even still, they would have use the Hunt's entire inventory.

Two-to-one odds were much better to look at, but the monsters were three days away at most, and Baccina had barely finished the second set of inner dirt walls. She wanted at least a third.

Then there was another problem: Artemis. She stayed in her tent almost the whole of these past days, and when she spoke, something was off. Like her mind was on something else.

Baccina knew exactly why -Artemis cared for the demigod she kept, the one with the broken mind. The Italian Hunter herself was fine with the idea of it, but not if it distracted Artemis on the eve of a coming battle.

She would have to give Artemis a stern talking-to later, but the only free time she had was tomorrow night, for thirty minutes between coordinating the raids and supervising construction.

It would have to be a shorter talking-to, then, but Baccina had to make it no less effective. Morale would drop if the rest of the Hunt knew that Artemis was in love, and that would be lethal in a battle.

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 **A/N: For romance, it took me this long for me to make Artemis and Percy a possibility. Still, I predict they'll be "together" by the end of chapter 21 at the latest. And I might already have it written out, who knows?**

 **Also, shameless D &D 1st level spell steal, Burning Hands.**

 **Please review so I can improve the story based on your feedback.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: So, you want more of Percy? Then you've got it! That means, however, you'll miss most of the battle.**

Chapter 20-

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Percy was in a dark place. No light shown from where he thought was the entrance, the crack in this cave of darkness that was his home.

He had visitors there, occasionally. Often, in fact. A goddess-like beauty of silver, who gazed at him every night from a stone slab in the center. A girl surrounded in a crackling nimbus of thunder, looking at him with concern and asking unintelligible questions.

Another girl, this one with long, straight black hair and calculating eyes -in one hand clutched a scroll, the other a dagger. She asked different questions, but Percy understood them even less. Her eyes shown with intelligence, though.

More faces showed up occasionally as well. A young wolf-girl, covered in fur and sharpened teeth. And older, beautiful wolf-woman, who looked at him with pure, unadulterated concern and caring -and perhaps a little love?

Then, soon, there was another.

He felt like he was falling, flipping end over end until the crack, the crack in the side of the cave, reappeared. Then it widenened, and a strangely beautiful creature flew in, back first from an astoundingly powerful kick. She was about his age, holding a dagger in one hand, and in her mouth were strange, long teeth.

Sylia spun, facing the entrance of the tent. She had no chance against the goddess she mistakenly challenged . . . not out there, at least.

This tent fell from her pocket, and the _empousa_ sensed and opportunity -that, and a strange scent hit her.

There was a young man inside, hands chained to the ceiling while he writhed in madness. In Artemis' tent?

The goddess strode in after her, twin hunting knives ready to cut . . . but not ready for what she saw.

"If you take another step, I'll kill him." Sylia threatened, dagger to Percy's throat.

Artemis froze mid-step -this wasn't a bluff, "If you kill him, I'll kill you."

"Is it worth it?" Sylia asked, "Or will you let me leave?"

Artemis narrowed her eyes, itching to summon her bow and peg the monster between the eyes. She wasn't fast enough, though, not fast enough to kill her before she ran the dagger across Percy's throat.

In that moment, Sylia knew she was safe. This goddess, the goddess famous for hating _all_ men, loved this one. She wouldn't dare kill him, "Good. Go outside, make this tent small again, then walk twenty miles away from anyone else."

The tent flap closed again, leaving only a small crack of light before even that was cut off.

Sylia smiled -she would kill this boy, or at least turn him. For her mother. Revenge would start now, and it would never stop. Not until she drew her final breath.

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Artemis unslung her bow again, sending a volley of arrows into the unsuspecting sides of a group of Telkhines before shrinking the tent and picking it up -she needed to make Perseus safe again as soon as possible.

She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the line of Hunters and Amazons getting pushed back and back. Her maidens were dying, she knew. But it had to happened eventually. No good thing lasted forever.

So she held her knives at the ready, running through the horde of enemies with relative ease. Silver flashed, and monsters howled in pain as Artemis tore through them in a cold-blooded rage. If this was where the Hunt fell . . . they would pay dearly for it.

It was a dusty and bloody swath she carved, uncaring of the knife that caught her on the shoulder, nor the arrow that buried itself in her thigh. Swords and spears nicked her in dozens of places as she went forward, heeding not caution nor sense. Then she was free, and in the forest none could find her.

Ichor leaked from a hundred gashes she hadn't the energy to close. Nectar and ambrosia helped only so much before that was gone, but Artemis pressed on. Her lifeblood spilled onto the forest floor below -she didn't even have the strength to flash back to the Hunters even if she wanted to.

She knew there was a risk of becoming just like Poseidon; Bleeding out all her blood onto the ground below her, kept in a perpetual state of undying agony.

But she made it to the forest, and lost her persuers there. At least, she thought she did.

So she collapsed to her knees, at the limit of her endurance after dealing and recieveing harm for the last . . . she didn't know how long.

But she took out her tent, tossing it onto the forest floor with the last of her strength.

Then Sylia stepped out, holding a now unbound Perseus by the shoulder, "You're too easy, Artemis. You can't even stop me from doing _this_."

Sylia reared her head back, teeth growing into fangs before sinking them into Percy's throat.

She narrowed her eyes -something tasted different from any other blood she tasted in the past. Powerful, obviously, but more than that . . . perfect. Too perfect, as if arranged exactly to her tastes.

It looked like she didn't need to get to know them before biting them . . .

Artemis' eyes widened, and she forced herself to her feet, lunging at the _empousa_. It was at the precise moment when Sylia's grip loosened with realization, and Artemis ripped her off entirely.

Sylia snarled, rolling the exhausted goddess off and standing, then reached down and kick her in side of the head until her neck was kinked to a funny angle.

Then the _empousa_ disappeared in a flash of flames, far away to the distant city of Chicago.

Chicago, where a certain mortal mercenary had found her a week before.

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"Artemis! Wake up!"

Artemis groaned -her entire body hurt, especially her neck. She didn't want to wake up -much better to sink back into that blissful oblivion of the dark and numb.

"Artemis! Get up or I'm shoving one of Orion's eyes down your throat!"

Her eyes snapped open, then shut again as light overwhelmed them, "W-What?"

Liliana loomed above her on the right; On the left was Panacea, looking as exhausted as she felt.

"You're awake?" asked Liliana.

"Now . . . now I am." Artemis groaned, trying to sit up and failing, "Why does everything hurt?"

"Funny story about that, actually. Panacea counted at least one-hundred thirteen injuries, and of those a good dozen would be lethal to anyone but a god. Your little diversion would've killed anyone else."

"Did we . . . did we win?"

"We aren't dead. I guess that counts as a win." Liliana replied, "After you drew them off, Scathach regrouped the right flank and curled it around. The werewolves retreated with about twenty remaining. The monsters were almost completely annhiliated, but. . ."

"How many?"

"It would be faster to list the names of who's still alive."

"Who?"

"Scathach, Panacea, Baccina, Pheobe, Ros, Thalia, Naomi, Celyn, Huiliang, Resuza, Veronica, Perseus, you and me make fourteen."

Artemis closed her eyes in shock, "So many?"

"We were lucky. The Amazons were wiped out to a woman." Liliana said, "You were right to keep the wolves and falcons out of the battle. None of them would have survived."

"Perseus?"

"In a coma, with an _empousa_ bite on his neck." Liliana reported, "Panacea closed the wounds, but you know how their venom is."

"Yes. Lycaon and Lyra?"

"Escaped. We got most of the more important betas, and I hit Lyra in the shoulder with an arrow, but she still got away. We'll both be licking our wounds for a long time, though."

"Any good ideas?"

"Veronica already turned in her letter of resignation from the police. Everyone else abandoned whatever else they were doing." Liliana sighed, "We won't have a new crop of recruits form anywhere outside America for at least another twenty years."

"Drink this." Panacea passed Artemis a tall glass of nectar, "No getting out of bed for the next day."

Artemis groaned, drinking the whole glass before setting it down, "So fourteen of us, twenty werewolves, and nothing else?"

"More like sixteen werewolves, now. Baccina made herself invisible somehow and killed a few more of them in their sleep before she was caught. She escaped, but barely."

"And how many of us can fight?"

"Seven. Naomi should recover by next week, and Resuza a little after that. The others should be fine by the end of the day, but we have no way to tell when Percy might wake up."

"How long has it been?"

"You've been unconscious for three weeks. Panacea and Athena both gave blood. Also, Poseidon gave up."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Had to happen eventually. I didn't care for him very much." Liliana could see the exhaustion Artemis' face; It was taking a great deal of effort on her part to stay awake, "I'll leave now, you should get some sleep."

"I should." Artemis agreed, eyelids drooping as her most trusted Hunter walked away.

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This time, Artemis woke up on her own -and she felt much, much stronger. She was in the hospital tent, of course, and on her left was Perseus. On her right was Resuza.

In front of her was Baccina Machiavelli, sitting cross-legged on a stool with her laptop on her legs, seemingly engrossed by whatever was on the screen.

"Baccina? What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you." Baccina stood, stretching, and spun her laptop, "I spent most of the last few days making this."

"This" was a long list of names and locations, all across the US.

"What for?"

"Any Hunters would be reborn at the first opportunity, so I compiled these around eleven thousand names of all the babies born on the day of the battle. If we make it an hour after the battle, we have four-hundred and sixty. Thirty minutes after we buried our dead makes it another three hundred thirty."

"You're saying that any Hunters and chose to be reborn are in those seven hundred, ninety names."

"There are thirteen of us, so if each of us visit sixty families, we would be able to find any and all reborn Hunters."

Artemis smiled -this was amazing. She could rebuild her Hunt to it's former glory-

"But none of them will remember you, nor will they have the same skills they used to. They will have to be trained like any other Hunter." Baccina warned, "There is one other matter."

"What?"

"I told you to delay your search for a cure to Perseus' condition until our troubles were over." Baccina sighed, "This would be the best time to confront Ladon and steal the Golden Apples."

"Would they work?"

"The Golden Apples are legendary. They could heal Perseus, but you risk Hera's rage. If you still wish to do this, I will gather the Hunt to help you."

But Artemis shook her head, "I can't risk anyone else. We're weak enough as it is. Should I not come back, tell Liliana to lead them well. I have no children -she will inherit my domains, should I fade."

Baccina nodded, then hugged Artemis, kissing her on her left, then right, cheek in farewell, "Godspeed, my lady."

"Be well, my maiden." Artemis replied, then disappeared.

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The Garden of the Hesperides was a quiet place, Artemis realized. Especially at night.

But she had a full moon shining down on her, and her knives were sharp. She was ready to slay the hundred-headed dragon that stood between her and the key to Perseus' sanity.

"Why are _you_ here, Artemis?" asked a voice as cold as ice and as sharp as steel while a dagger pressed against her side.

Artemis tensed -it was the werewolf, Lyra, "I will _kill_ you."

Lyra laughed cruelly, "Like I killed your Hunters? I don't have time for you today, so I'll let you go with a question. _What are you doing here_?"

Artemis growled, "I need an Apple."

Lyra considered her options. She needed a few Apples herself, to cure Perseus of his insanity and to keep for a rainy day, "A dying Hunter finally made you try to put an end to this beast? Who? The spy? The goddess? Your lover?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"I need Apples as well. So you can either leave, or join me. Ladon is more than a match for either of us." Lyra said, "Or I can stab you and tear apart your body."

Artemis paused -was Lyra's proposal legitimate? Zoë hadn't even managed to run _past_ Ladon unscathed; She was one of the most talented Hunters Artemis had ever seen. And could Artemis risk fighting the werewolf?

"Fine." Artemis muttered.

"Good. Why don't you use that wonderful little symbol of power to soften it up?" Lyra asked, or rather, ordered.

"I can't use it for another three hours." Artemis lied through her teeth.

"I can wait." replied the werewolf, sitting down on the grassy floor.

"I won't." Artemis stode forward, summoning her longbow and fitting an arrow to the string -one that trailed a thin line of silver cord. The simplest solution would be to hit an Apple from here, then yank it back towards herself. Flashing there would wake Ladon immediately even if she _could_ -Hera shielded the area with her own powers, and guarded her Apples jealously.

But the arrows bounced off some invisible wall.

"You think I haven't tried that?" Lyra asked, "I've been here for close to four weeks already, and I've tried everything but a frontal assault."

"Really?"

"I stole a Sopwith Camel and Celestial Bronze rounds from some history buff a ways away and strafed it a few times -something shields it from projectiles outside of a certain range, and when I got too close, his heads tore it apart."

"Then I'll just have to get closer." Artemis picked her way down the slope, an explosive arrow knocked. Lyra sighed, standing. She knew the goddess wouldn't kill her -not while she still needed the Apple- but it wouldn't hurt to let Artemis get roughed up a bit first.

Artemis loosed the arrow, but one of Ladon's heads knocked it to the ground . . . then all of them focused on her.

Artemis slung her bow, then . . . changed.

There was no good way to describe it. Her Hunter's uniform was replaced by a red tunic and brown leather hunting boots. The bow that appeared in her hands was red, the arrows in her quiver fletched with red as well. As Lyra watched, the quiver and arrows changed further, into a shield, and the bow she turned held into a spear.

This wasn't Artemis. This was Diana.

And she was intent on sending Ladon to Tartaurus.

Diana charged, shield up. A pack of hunting dogs materialized around her, barking and yipping. In front of her was a hissing mass of serpent-like heads, writhing and waiting for the foolish goddess to approach.

The first one darted out, as fast as lighting, but a dog from Dianas' pack leapt, slamming into the side of it's head and raking it's claws across the head's neck.

Then all hell broke loose. Heads attacked, and dogs leapt. Diana was a blur, deflecting heads with her shields while stabbing them with her spear, which seemed to shorten and lengthen at will.

But Lyra's more experienced eyes could see she was barely holding her own, even with the pack of mutts.

Lyra sighed, drawing her shortswords. She already wore hardened leather armor, and she could see the same on Diana.

Three heads dropped before the monster even realized she was there, and she could _feel_ ninety-seven different brains, all working together to control the monstrosity. She'd give anything for Hydrus to be here -her brother would've been able to sow chaos in the ranks.

But he was dead, Eros missing.

So Lyra started hacking, turning into a whirlwind of blades as blood and heads flew around her. Diana smiled, then began to attack in earnest. One head was shield-bashed into the ground, where her dogs tore it apart. Another had the business end of the spear stuck through it's mouth.

They were making progress, but it was slow now that Lyra's surprise had worn off and the heads attacked her as well.

Part of the problem was they were just so _fast_. Darting this way and that, weaving and twisting, until one looped under Diana's shield, slamming into her chest in a brutal headbutt.

The goddess flew back, but was caught by yet more heads. Helpless now, unable to dodge, Diana was bitten all over her body, the terrible venom taking hold and sapping her strength until she slumped, defeated.

Ladon threw her away, triumphant, before focusing all of it's attention on Lyra. The werewolf backed up cautiously, then morphed and ran away, using her smaller size to get through the tangle of heads.

She almost made it. Almost.

One head, a single head, sunk it's teeth into her scruff, but she ripped it free and collapsed next to Diana. She knew she was dead -the venom was fatal to mortals.

Unless . . .

"Shoot a flare." Lyra growled, "Into the sky. It's our only chance."

Diana took her word for it, grunting as she drew her bow back, then shot a cherry-red streak of fire.

With all her strength, Lyra kicked the goddess away.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to do this." growled another familiar voice.

Lycaon stepped into the moonlight; The reinforcements, summoned by Diana's arrow.

"I could kill you, now." he said, reaching down and picking her up by the throat, "But I'd rather that poison do the job for me. Now, let _me_ clean up _your_ mess."

Lycaon reached behind him, drawing a massive, two-handed broadsword. Flames flickered around it's edges, and he carried it with ease.

Ladon hissed from around forty throats.

Lycaon opened his mouth and howled, then charged.

A cleave of the broadsword rent half a dozen heads, and another killed three more.

Lycaon grinned as the remaining heads writhed around him, then attacked. More and more heads fell as Ladon started to back off, fearing the werewolf who was singlehandedly killing it. Any heads that tried to attack the werewolf were batted away by the sharpened knuckles of Lycaon's heavy gauntlets. Any that got through couldn't even penetrate his armor.

Sometimes being a massive hulk of metal was the way to go.

Lycaon howled in laughter and bloodlust as his armor was coated in green ichor. And in one mighty, finishing stroke, the Werewolf King cleaved Ladon's body in half.

"I did as I promised, Lyra." Lycaon sneered, "I didn't promise to save _you,_ though. Enjoy your life . . . or what's left of it."

Then he strode away, again vanishing into the night.

Lyra watched, the venom pulsing through her system now. She didn't have long -another ten minutes, perhaps- and she couldn't move. Her entire body was on fire, agony her world, pain her life.

Then something cool touched her lips. Something golden.

"Eat it." Artemis -Greek again- said, then forced Lyra's mouth open and stuck the Apple slice inside.

Lyra sighed as a glorious feeling spread from her mouth to her toes, driving away the pain. She could feel the rip in her neck mending, and the aches of the days fading away.

"Why?"

"You saved my life. I don't like owing something to a dead person;" Artemis growled, then spun and walked away, another Golden Apple in her grasp. She disappeared, flashing away.

Lyra stood as well, taking time to strip the tree of as many apples as she could carry -thirty-seven, in total, with a very large portion of a tree still heavy with fruit.

Then she turned away as well, walking off. She didn't know why Artemis needed an Apple -perhaps one of her Hunters was wounded during the battle- but she needed to heal Perseus -the werewolf had already delayed for far too long.

And she needed her spy/boyfriend again.

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Artemis faced Percy, and knew there was a distinct possibility of this not working. Athena, beside her, would not give any promises -there was much to little to go on.

Hestia held his mouth open, so Artemis cut a slice off the Apple and, with care, placed it on his tongue.

Percy's mouth shut as Hestia let go of him, and he chewed mechanically, closing his eyes as the brilliant feeling -Artemis knew from experience- flowed through him. Then she unbounded Percy's right hand, placing the rest of the Apple into it.

This is how Percy was fed -without this sort of prompting, he would have died days ago.

Percy raised the Apple to his mouth, chomping down on it until only the core was left, which he slid into his pocket.

Then he opened his eyes, and they shown brilliant sea-green, no longer shattered, no longer dead.

He stared.

Artemis stared back.

They both blinked.

"I hate to interrupt, Artemis, but Zeus will be angry if we delay." Athena said, "I am confident the majority of the Council is on our side."

Artemis nodded, taking Percy's shoulder and flashing them both to Olympus, "Perseus, if you value your life, don't say _anything_."

Percy nodded, "As you wish, my lady."

Artemis turned to look at him -there was a new thread of energy in his voice, one that wasn't there when Hades sent him. A look of liveliness, of life.

Artemis entered the throneroom first, Perseus following at her right shoulder.

Athena was already sitting on her throne, and Hestia was in the fire. Then Percy's brow furrowed, and a look of deep, distraught, mourning came over his face -but there was no time for that, now.

Artemis fired a silver arrow into the sky, summoning the Council.

"As you can see, Perseus is now healed. Since you want to continue with this unnecessary and pointless trial, I'll defend him."

All trials on Olympus were like this; They didn't have the jargon or official process of the mortal courts. If a god or goddess wished to defend the one accused, they could. Then the god or goddess who accused would proceed with, well, accusing him/her.

There was only one problem: Zeus was trapped between the devil and the open sea. He couldn't back out now, nor could he win this trial. Triton would vote either way; Athena, Artemis, Hermes, Apollo, and Hephaestus were solidly in Perseus' camp. Ares seemed to approve of the sea spawn as well, and Aphrodite would follow her boyfriend. Hera would vote with him, ever the supporting wife, and Dionysus hated the sea spawn's guts.

Better to suffer a surrender than a defeat, Zeus thought, "No. I will allow Perseus' life if you, Artemis, take appropriate steps to ensure his loyalty."

Artemis' eyes widened -was this Zeus swallowing his pride?

"Very well."

"Now, I believe there is another matter. Demeter's death, and subsequently, Hades' and lastly, Poseidon's fade." Zeus announced, "As named by Poseidon's will, Triton inherits everything, including the domain and territory. Does all approve of this?"

Everyone nodded and it was passed.

"Next, we have complications. Hades' will has not been found, nor has Nico di Angelo been seen since the end of the war. Hazel Levesque, another potential heir, died in the war. By right of combat, Perseus Jackson will take those domains and his immortality. Is this approved?"

Artemis raised her hand, and after a while Apollo's' joined suit. Hermes voted for as well, along with Hephaestus and -after what looked like a fierce internal debate- Athena as well. Lastly, Ares grinned a rather nasty grin and raised his hand, Aphrodite doing the same.

Zeus gritted his teeth, "Very well. Perseus will take the domains, immortality, and property of Hades. Lastly, by Demeter's will, Perseus would also inherit her domains of agriculture and fertility of the earth, and also a small plot of land somewhere. Hestia would inherit all other domains, along with Demeter's seat on the Council. Is this approved as well?"

This went through easily; Most of them liked Hestia, and some didn't like it when she was taken from the Council, replaced by the one that had gotten Zeus drunk enough to make him a god.

Artemis took Perseus' shoulder again, flashing them back to her tent.

"Sit." her voice was hard, uncompromising.

Percy did just that, cross-legged on the floor.

Artemis sighed, summoned a chair facing the one she meant for Percy to sit in and pointed at it, "Sit."

Percy did just that.

"I have a few new rules. First, disregard the previous rules I gave you. Second, stop giving me honorifics. Third, speak however and whenever you want to. Any questions?"

"What happens to me now?"

"You can leave the Hunt; Explore the powers you'll have soon, then in a year or so return to Olympus."

"In a year?"

"A year is nothing to us, Percy." Artemis said, "A while after it is decided that someone gets domains, a ceremony is held on Olympus where the Council exchanges gifts. Usually, the year is needed to find and prepare gifts for the other gods."

"I should leave, then. I . . . need to find my parent's grave and say goodbye. I need time to mourn them."

Artemis nodded; She could understand, "I could flash you to Manhattan."

"Please."

"Then gather your things and return when you are ready to leave."

Percy nodded, stepping out of Artemis' tent. Most of the Hunt were in their tents, sleeping, so he gathered his tent with no interruptions and returned to Artemis' tent only a minute later.

Himeros, strangely, was silent.

"You're ready?"

"Yes."

"If you ever need a place to stay, you can come here." Artemis said, "You're one of the few men I can tolerate."

"Thank you." Percy replied, then knelt and rubbed Amber's ears, "I'll miss you."

Artemis looked on, torn between trying to keep Perseus here and letting him go. In the end, she knew that if Perseus stayed, he would attract far too many monsters, and the Ancient Laws forbade him from defending her Hunters.

So the goddess flashed him away -but not before summoning a small note to the inside of his pocket.

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Sally Blofis was buried on the Jackson family lot, down from her father and next a brother he never knew about.

Percy cried in front of her grave after placing a bundle of flowers at the foot of her tombstone.

That's all he did for a while, cried his eyes out in front of his mother's grave. Cried until his eyes were bloodshot. Cried until he could cry no more, then sat there. Going through the motions, though no tears came out.

He would give anything to see her face again, but instead turned away. There was a cabin, a cabin on an island, and in that cabin he would find pictures of her, many pictures of her and him, of them, and he would take them, yes, he would carry them with him for as long as he would.

Yes, that was a good plan, taking the pictures and going, going somewhere, somewhere else, elsewhere he could get away from it, from the grave, from the gods. He had a year, a year to get away, a year to mourn, a year to deal with this-

 _Keep it together, Perseus._ Himeros cautioned, _I don't need you becoming a nutcase again_.

 _Himeros?_

 _Of course. You'd think I'd leave you the moment your brain broke?_ Himeros snorted, _I'm no god. They know no friendship._

 _We're friends?_

 _I thought we were. If you want to disappear permanently, I can make that happen. You can live the rest of your life far from the gods, where even they won't be able to find you. Alaska, of course. No one would dare search for you there._

 _That's a bit cold for my taste_.

 _Hawaii, then?_ Himeros asked, _No god would go there, either -too far from their seats of power._

 _Why not Chicago? It's a big place._

Himeros shrugged, _That would work too, so long as Artemis doesn't hunt you down._

 _Chicago it is, then._

Percy waved down a taxi, climbing in.

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Percy stood at the entrance of Orpheus' Passage -and had no idea why. Perhaps it was to see his field once more. Perhaps not. Either way, his phone played the first few bars of Happy, and the pile of boulders opened for him.

None of the skeleton guards bothered him -in fact, they bowed.

The son of the sea god wandered around the palace he used to slave around in -that now he owned.

Demeter's and Hades' bodies had been taken away and buried, it seemed, and the throne looked like it changed: It was sea-green.

Percy frowned, trying to remember what exactly he saw in this room.

 _He said you were dead. I guess I'm not surprised he lied to me . . . I suppose this is yours, now_.

The son of the sea god stretched out his hand, focusing, and the air around his was touched with salt, water, and power as a crackling trident appeared in his hand. Not _a_ trident, _the_ Trident. Poseidon's symbol of power.

It looked weak at first, barely flickering, then grew in strength. It wasn't at the level Perseus had seen it before, but it was something.

Percy forced it back where it came from, then turned to leave . . . before turning again, and heading down a dozen flights of stairs until he reached a locked Stygian Iron door.

"Open." commanded the demigod, and it bent to his wishes.

In front of him were rows of slightly transparent walls, some empty, some not. Some held only corpses, but others held demigods and legacies.

"Perseus Jackson. I never thought you would be the first one down here." Kinzie said, stretching, "It's time to run?"

"No, actually. Hades is dead." replied the son of the sea, opening the rest of the cells. All of them held Amazons, and some of them looked tortured or beaten.

"Dead? Not captured?"

"Dead." Percy confirmed, "Also, Hylla's a goddess now."

"Really? Wow." Kinzie finished her stretching and stood, "We're in your debt now, Perseus. I thought we would die here of old age. For some reason, we were never hungry or thirsty."

"I've been in those cells before."

"If you need anything from us, just ask."

"Come to think of it, I could use a-"

"-a girlfriend?" asked Kinzie, "I still think you'd look good in a collar. I could get you a nice leather leash, too."

"I was thinking more along the lines of bodyguard." Percy replied, tilting his head, "Where did you get girlfriend from?"

"Oh, I don't know." Kinzie shrugged innocently, "Tyra, you up for it?"

"Must I?" another Amazon woman asked, this one a few years older than Perseus.

"Yep. You'll get a raise out of it, too."

"Not every Amazons is as eager to throw themselves at him as you are, Kinzie." Tyra sighed, "Fine. Where's my gear?"

"Follow me." Percy said, going up a level and turning left. He opened the door, doing a quick headcount as they walked in. Twenty-seven of the original fifty.

Tyra came out first, strapping on leather armor and holding a spear in one hand, a small crossbow in the other, and a backpack on her back. Now that Percy got a good look at her, she was tall, taller than him, and had an aristocratic look to her. Alienly beautiful and completely unapproachable.

The other Amazons eventually came out as well, gather in the hallway while Percy led them out of the palace. None of the guards bother them, either.

They went up Orpheus' Passage, then the other Amazons left. Only Tyra stayed behind.

"Where to, sir?"

"Chicago."

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Percy stepped off the Greyhound that took him to Chicago, looking around. Tyra stayed behind him, keeping a watchful eye out. She stayed silent when he 'misted' the driver into thinking he'd already payed for the fare.

 _You'll need a job, and a place to stay. You should be able to handle yourself in the rougher districts, so . . . wait a second . . . I smell something._ Himeros said, _I think I can get you a job._

 _A place to stay first._ Percy reached into the backpack he got from Montauk -no one went there but them, really. They took to leaving things there the last few summers.

He pulled out a fat wad of cash -something Sally got from her first book, _The Lighting Thief_.

Himeros guided him through a discussion with a landowner of a ratty apartment without incident, and Tyra looked around the three room home distastefully, then put down her backpack and spread out the bedroll on top, "I'll sleep on the floor, sir."

"Kay. I'm getting a job." Percy said. _Where?_

 _Take a left when you leave_. Himeros instructed, and Percy followed his instructions.

 _A right here . . . another left . . . and here we are._

They were standing in front of a ratty McDonalds.

 _In we go._

It was empty -not much activity at this time, it seemed.

The man behind the counter was middle-aged and barrel-shaped, and they met eyes.

"Hmph. I haven't seen a male _empousa_ for a while." he crossed his thick arms, "And a son of Poseidon besides. Death too, and . . . grain? You consort with strange gods. I suppose you want a job like the rest of them?"

 _Repeat after me: Well, if it isn't the redoubtable Alexios._

"Well, if it isn't the redoubtable Alexios. Still working the restaurant, I see. Haven't changed in a few thousand years."

The man cracked a smile, "That you, Himeros? Quite a host you've got there."

"Found him a while back. He released me and everyone else."

 _Give me to him_.

Percy stretched out a hand, "Perseus Jackson."

"Alexios Buros." the meaty man shook his hand, feeling Himeros enter his body, "Call me Alex."

After a brief conversation, Alex sighed, "Fine. You've got the job. Show up here at six AM tomorrow -you're on the breakfast shift. Few things you should know -no discrimination in the workplace, or I'm outta a job. Got all kinds in here, and you can tell your little girlfriend to stuff it."

"I don't have a girlfriend." Percy replied.

"Then who's the gal sneaking through the backdoor? Tyra? Call off your guard, then."

Percy sighed, "Tyra! You there?"

Tyra scowled, stepping into the open, "Yes, sir."

"Don't call me sir."

"You can go stuff yourself, sir."

Alex scowled, "Not giving her a job. Amazons've been trying to put me outta business for centuries, and now they've got that food delivery thing goin' on. The drones, too. Don't trust 'em."

"Tyra, can you not do whatever you were doing? I just got a job."

"As you wish, sir." Tyra stepped back, fading into the night.

"So who exactly are you?"

"A former Alpha in the Pack, before I found someone I loved that I didn't want to turn. Lycaon sent me out after that, but I'm still out here. He's probably forgot, now. Himeros was a good friend of mine, before he was captured. He'll look out for you."

Percy nodded, and Alex gave the spirit back, "Six o' clock tomorrow, don't forget."

"I won't."

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The next day, Percy woke, ate a quick breakfast -Tyra had apparently picked up some food last night- and left, stepping over the sleeping -or so he suspected- Amazon before heading to work.

"You're at the register. Simple -ask them what they want, hit the buttons, hit enter, and say 'Thanks for coming, come again!' as they leave." Alex instructed, then gestured, "Looks life you've got the first customer of the day."

A girl his age walked in, breathtakingly beautiful and flanked by two older woman. She had blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in a soft, figure-hugging flannel shirt and tight jeans.

Sylia smiled, "I didn't think I'd find you here, mate."

* * *

 **A/N: And time for a big, big time-skip. Sylia and Perseus come face to face, two new characters are introduced, and the devil is a part-timer. Did I forget to mention that?**

 **Please review -I really like the feedback.**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews! As predicted, Percy and Artemis will be together officially by the end of this chapter. I might've overdone it, though.**

 **Also, screw the Guest that said Artemis is an eternal maiden. Does he seriously think I _don't_ know that? The entire point of fan-fictions is to change what might happen!**

Chapter 21-

* * *

A year had passed, along with quite a few adventures and close scrapes with death -mortal mercenaries, angry customers, and people who thought it'd be a good thing to bring their pet drakon into McDonalds to be fed. Interestingly enough, it didn't fit.

And Percy was still working the register, eventually being promoted to Shift Manager, a Rank-A employee position. He and Alex got to know each other better, along with a nice _dracaenae_ named Seth, short for Sethno.

But Percy's powers never came. He tested himself every night -pricking his finger and seeing a little dot of red form. Nothing.

At least he was away from all of the commotion with the Hunt -though he frequented their Minecraft server, late at night when he knew everyone else was asleep. Or thought so, anyways -Baccina found him out his third night of playing, and they chatted for a while.

Then, of course, there was Sylia. Infuriatingly beautiful, frustratingly sexy, and annoyingly bewitching, she seemed to know exactly where Percy was at all times, and rarely left him alone.

"We are mates." she explained, "I could search for the rest of my life and not find anyone I love more than you."

"So you're stalking me?"

"No. Well, yes. You see, you might fit together with other people like this," she laced her pinkies together, "But we are made for each other." she laced her fingers together fully, "You wouldn't find a better match than me, either. Besides, who could be better than me?

She flipped her blond hair over one shoulder, and Percy's gaze unintentionally followed it, and the sway of her hips as she walked away. They _had_ shared a few nights together, until Percy learnt to resist the intoxicating scent. Even then, it was hard.

But gods damn it, she was _amazing_. And just a bit annoying. All the time.

He also had to prepare gifts for the rest of the gods -some of them straightforward, some not.

That, and two very special projects he was working on, one much, much more important than the other.

And that's when a girl in silver whom he knew very well walked in.

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It had been a year since the Hunt was almost completely destroyed, and Thalia felt side-lined. With the Hunt so small now, and with so many older, experienced Hunters, she felt completely out of her depth.

Despite being the Lieutenant, everyone else seemed to know what to do better than her. They still numbered fourteen -and interesting things had happened on their end as well.

But more than that, Artemis was very closed-mouthed about Perseus, and rarely even came out of her tent these days. She ate alone, hunted alone, and even slept alone -Amber was sent to the kennel with a nasty looking bruise in her side. No one wanted to cross her if she'd do _that_ to her favorite familiar.

Only over the last few days did Artemis become slightly more spirited, steering the Hunt in a straight line across the States.

Thalia sighed, looking up -the sun was going down, and that meant the marching day was over. But Veronica already reported it, and went over to Thalia.

"Artemis wants you to collect orders from everyone and pick some food up at the city?" asked Veronica.

Thalia nodded silently, annoyed. By the time she finished getting orders, the camp of fourteen tents were set up, and Thalia left. No one even noticed her as she walked away.

Barely at the outskirts of one of the worst sections of Chicago was a surprisingly clean-looking McDonalds, and inside was someone who looked a lot like Percy.

Thalia narrowed her eyes, eyes honed by years of shooting arrows into distant targets -it _was_ Percy. But in _Chicago_? Working at _McDonalds_?

There was another customer, she noticed, a woman a little older than Perseus, with a spear strapped to her back and a crossbow on the table. She had a rough kind of beauty, while another girl, this one exactly Percy's age, sitting at a counter making doe-eyes at the son of Poseidon. The first women, Thalia saw, was watching the girl very closely.

Next to Perseus, at the other cash register, was a barrel-shaped man with muscular arms and a mean-looking sword on his back. This was clearly a place used to receiving odd customers, and knew how to handle themselves.

Thalia strode in, right up to Perseus -or tried to. A spear stopped her cold; The woman had moved with blinding speed.

"Tyra, she's a friend. I think." Percy said, sighing, "Thalia, what are you doing here?"

"Is this the Hunter you told me about?" asked the girl, "She looks pretty plain. Nothing compared to me."

Meanwhile, the other man at the register drew his sword and slung a shield from his back -previously hidden behind his massive form.

Thalia already had her bow out.

"No, this isn't _that_ Hunter." Percy replied to the girl, "Tyra, "she's a friend" means you can put the spear away."

Tyra gritted her teeth, "Must I?"

"Yes." Percy said firmly.

Tyra huffed, but put it away, her right hand now settling on the crossbow.

The girl was still inspecting her, "She's got decent legs, she should show them off more. Maybe a tighter shirt, too."

Percy put his head in his hands, "Sylia, you've already driven away enough customers. The branch manager isn't happy about that, is he?"

The man grunted, "No."

"I have a few orders to make." Thalia said, "And a few questions."

Percy pressed a few buttons, "Shoot. One question per order."

"Big Mac with mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, and ketchup. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to make money. Would you like to make that a meal?"

"Yes. Big Mac with ketchup only. Meal again. Why didn't you come back to the Hunt?"

"I wanted to get away from it all. Everything. What else?"

For fourteen orders it went like that, until Thalia ran out -though a million questions still spun in her head.

"Does anyone in the Hunt know you're here?"

Percy smiled, inputting the last order, "Can't answer that."

"Fine. One small fries. Does anyone else in the Hunt know you're here?"

"Baccina does. Artemis, probably. I've missed her."

"What? You were . . . not gonna question that."

Then the snake woman appeared.

Thalia narrowed her eyes, drawing an arrow, "Percy."

"Yeah?"

"There's a monster behind-"

Then a lot of things happened all at once.

Tyra fired her crossbow, severing the string of Thalia's bow, while Sylia leapt forward, sharpened claws cutting apart the arrow. Alex caught the arrowhead on the tip of his sword, flicking it out the door.

Percy had Riptide in hand, the point under Thalia's chin.

"As junior Shift Manager, it's _my_ job to ensure the safety of McDonald's employees in the workplace." Percy said, "Seth happens to be a very valued member of the workplace. And I don't appreciate discrimination."

"Why is there a mon-" Thalia started, but Percy's sword dug in a little more, " _dracaenae_ here?"

"Why shouldn't there be? I'm a demigod and a male _empousa_ , Sylia's a true _empousa_ , Alex's a werewolf, and Tyra's a mortal with clear sight. Seth's just another employee."

"And I'm not gonna tolerate any bared silver in here." Alex scowled, "You gotta problem?"

"Why would you side with them?" Thalia asked, "We've been friends for years."

"That's why we haven't killed you yet." growled Alex, "Didn't you read the sign?"

He pointed, and sure enough, a little sticker on the window said "No Drawn Weapons or Bare Silver Allowed."

"I'll help you take these back to the Hunt." Percy said, picking up half the bags Seth brought, food hot and ready, "Alex-"

"Been a pleasure working with you, kid." replied the massive man, clapping a hand on his shoulder, "Don't kid yourself -you ain't coming back. Been 'Artemis this' and 'Artemis that' for the last few months. Go get 'er."

Percy grinned, "Bye, then. Sylia, if you follow me, I swear . . ."

Tyra grunted, getting up and slinging her crossbow. Her spear was in her hands again, and she didn't seem to be at all hindered by the leather armor she was wearing.

"Artemis?" Thalia asked as they left the fast-food place together.

"What? It's been a year. I've realized a few things." Percy shrugged, "Ever since I left the Hunt, I missed her. Sure, I missed you too, but not like her. Hades, I've spent days in her tent. When I went crazy, I could see this beautiful silver light around her, almost as beautiful as she always is-"

"And-"

"Be quiet, I'm monologuing." Percy snapped, "I haven't finished yet. She's headstrong, graceful, almost the opposite of Annabeth. But she's amazing. Have you seen her fight? She killed _Ladon_ to make me sane again. When I was near her, or doing something for her, or anything, I wasn't thinking of Annabeth anymore. When I was tied up, in her tent, I could see her always, and she kept the nightmares away. Even here, I couldn't get far enough away. Annabeth is still in my dreams, but now she's saying to go back to Artemis. She sent you, right?"

"Yeah. Kindof. Where did you meet _her_?" Thalia asked, pointing at Tyra

"Hades was keeping a bunch of Amazons in the Underworld, and she stayed with me as a bodyguard." Percy answered, "How is Artemis?"

Thalia shrugged, "She kept to her tent mostly, until just a few days ago."

"Did she miss me?"

"How should I know?" Thalia asked, "The camp's right up there."

Percy nodded, taking a deep breath and running his hand through his unruly hair and checking his uniform for obvious stains. There were none, thankfully, so he put the McDonalds visor back on, "Can we not say who I am until we're at Artemis' tent? I don't want any attention."

Thalia stopped, "Resuza?"

A shape in silver dropped from the branch, bow slung.

Percy smiled at seeing Lyra's daughter again; He missed Lyra, too.

"Classic with mustard and lettuce?" Thalia asked, searching around until she found it, a small order of fries, and a shake.

"Yep." Resuza replied, taking the food, "Who's he?"

Thalia shrugged carelessly, "Just an employee."

Percy grinned -the darkness and hat combined made it impossible to tell who he was.

They made their way into the camp, Thalia doing the talking while Percy acted like a mortal who stumbled into a girl's summer camp.

And it worked beautifully . . . until they got to Artemis' tent.

"Perseus?" Artemis guessed the moment Thalia stepped in.

"Yo." Percy replied, stretching out his hand. In that hand was a piece of paper, on one side of which was the note Artemis gave him . . . and this was his reply, "How are you, Lady Artemis?"

"Didn't I say no honorifics?" Artemis asked, unfolding the note. Thalia tilted her head, reading the back of it.

 _Perseus,_

 _You will find this within the next day, probably, or sooner. In a year, I'll find you again. Wherever you are. You_ are _still my Servant, and don't forget that. When you come back, I'll have something to tell you._

 _Remember, you can always stay in the Hunt._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Pheobe Artemis, Goddess of the Moon, Lady of the Hunt_

Thalia could've sworn she saw a hastily erased "I love you" under the "Sincerely,".

Artemis looked up again, a tear in the corner of her eye, "You may leave now, Thalia. I have something to . . . discuss with Perseus."

Thalia blinked, turning -but not before seeing the other side of the sheet of paper as it fell from Artemis' eyes.

 _My Lady Artemis,_

 _If you can read this over how many times I've erased what I was going to say, I've missed you. I remember how you cared for me, when no one else could. How you healed me. You stuck your neck out for me at the council, but it's more than that. When I'm with you, I feel safe, like nothing could ever harm me if you're there. The nightmares go away, and I could even forget Hades and what he did._

 _But I don't want protection. I want to be with you, Artemis. You're so much like me, but better. Stronger, faster, amazing . . . I can't ask you to love me when you probably have much better alternatives . . . I mean, you've known Pheobe for centuries. How could I hope to compare?_

 _I love you, Artemis, and I will never leave again._

 _Percy Jackson_

Thalia went away, stunned -how could this be happening, and under her nose no less?

Of course, Baccina knew exactly what was happening -she already knew about the note. She saw Percy's love expand in the chat log. She even encouraged it -he was a powerful son of Poseidon, after all, not to mention a god.

She knew it would come about -a beautiful warrior woman? In all her days, Baccina hadn't met a man or woman who wasn't attracted to that. The problem was, now the daughter of Niccolo had no idea just _how_ deep the love ran. There were certainly a bucket full of similarities between them. Headstrong, powerful. Both hate bullies, both used to be the underdogs. Both had watched those they love die, those they cared about perish. Both indomitable in their chosen weapons. Both indomitable, period. Only Hades could break Percy's spirit, and even still he recovered.

They could relate perfectly, understand each other the way no one else could.

Even Annabeth wasn't so good of a match.

That night, when Artemis _finally_ left her tent, she summoned the entire Hunt of thirteen Hunters -recruitment was a bit low.

She was out of her funk, too -any Hunter could see that, "Our wayward Servant has returned. I-"

Liliana stepped forward, "Sorry, Artemis, but we can't let you have a boyfriend who isn't a Hunter. Hear that, Perseus!?"

Baccina hid a smile; She might've told a few other Hunters about this budding romance.

Artemis stood there, opened mouthed, while Perseus grinned sheepishly, stepping outside.

Most of the Hunters smiled impishly -they had quite some time to plan this out, after all.

Liliana turned to them, "Don't you agree?"

The Hunters cheered.

"Well, I think if Percy wants to date our little lady here, he needs to prove himself, doesn't he?"

The Hunters cheered.

"And I can't think of a better way to do that than train him to be a Hunter."

The Hunters cheered.

"Of course, he's a guy, so it'll have to be Huntress."

The Hunters booed.

"Fine, how about Hunstman?"

The Hunters booed.

"Tough crowd! Percy the Hunter it is!"

The Hunters cheered.

"So, first order of business: The oath."

The Hunters cheered.

"Repeat after me: I pledge myself to be Artemis' boyfriend."

"I pledge myself to be Artemis' boyfriend." Percy repeated -he could see he wasn't getting out of this anymore.

"I turn my back on any other women, accept eternal Huntership, and become Artemis' boyfriend. Also, I join the Hunt."

"I turn my back on any other women, accept eternal Huntership, and become Artemis' boyfriend. Also, I join the Hunt." Percy pledged, but nothing happened.

Liliana turned on Artemis, "Please? I'll give you one of Orion's eyes."

Artemis shook her head, "If you want Percy to go through a Hunter's training, then go ahead. But I'm not accepting an oath like _that_. Clear?"

The Hunters slumped, Liliana especially, "Fine."

"Also, I'll do the training." Artemis added.

"Make sure you're actually training!" Celyn called.

There was one Hunter who was still slightly bitter about this -Pheobe. What did this male have that she didn't?

That's when she noticed a shifty-looking woman holding a crossbow, though not quite aiming it at anybody. A woman who appeared to be talking to Baccina. Then she walked away, disappearing into the night.

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Percy woke the next day, surprisingly not having dreamed of Artemis the last night.

The rooster-clock said four AM -about typical for one of his McDonalds shifts, so he rolled out of bed, reaching for the nightstand that wasn't there, and the pen that wasn't on it.

The son of Poseidon hit the ground with a thud, then climbed to his feet, blinking.

Oh, right. The Hunt.

It didn't take him long to gather the little gear he had -he moved the rest of his possessions last night, along with paying his rent and canceling it.

 _This is going to be very awkward if Artemis tries to find me._ Himeros warned, _Probably best if you wore long sleeves and pants. Gloves too._

 _Easy enough._

Percy did exactly that, wearing a cheap, tight exercise shirt and pants -a part-time job at McDonalds didn't pay the best, after all.

So, with Riptide in his pocket and "his" dagger at his waist, Percy had an hour and a half to burn.

What would he do but jump onto the Hunt's server, spawning in exactly where he logged out of.

His base was quite a bit north of the group of the Hunt's buildings, built into the side of a mountain and practically invisible. He didn't have a faction, really, just built the base and amassed his fortune -not that it was a very large one.

It was like a ghost town. Random explosions put craters in streets and buildings that held Hunters who left the game . . . or died.

There were signs on most of the buildings as well. It looked like the Hunt managed the server well, given the two-hundred plus dedicated players. Except most of them were dead, now.

 _Tylia's House_

 _Susan's Trading Post_

 _Faction Storehouse-Take What You Need!_

 _Public Farm_

 _Mary's Magnificent Mansion_

Percy shivered -for Minecraft, it was surprisingly creepy.

If there could be wind whistling through the blocky streets, there would be.

He logged out, shaking himself roughly before standing and pacing back and forth.

The son of Poseidon had too much time on his hands, and patience was one thing his year of introspection didn't give him.

Annabeth's dagger was cold at his waist, and he took it out.

θάνατος - φέρει αγάπη

Death-Marked Love

Percy sighed, sheathing it again and stepping outside. It was just about six AM, just enough time for Percy to walk over to Artemis' tent and wait there. He didn't have to wait long before Artemis herself stepped out, arrayed in Hunter's gear.

"Follow me." she ordered, walking over to the Armory. Once inside, she immediately headed over to the racks upon racks of silvery bows.

"Try this." she tossed one over, but took it back at once.

Artemis frowned at the rack, then stepped forward and took another one down, "Hold this."

Percy did just that, and Artemis paced around him.

"Good." Artemis took a quiver of arrows off another rack, passing it to the son of Poseidon before heading out to the archery range.

Percy frowned, "I'm . . . not very good with a bow."

"That much I've heard." Artemis sighed, "However, if _I_ can't teach you, no one can. Take up a position at the closest target."

Percy did so, "Can I have an arrow?"

"Not yet." Artemis circled around him, keen eyes marking every way Percy was shaping up wrong. She nudged his back foot wider, turned his shoulders, raised his arms, then stepped back.

"Now take an arrow and knock it." Artemis ordered, then scowled as Percy's form fell apart. His feet were too close together and twisted slightly, he was holding the arrow with thumb and index finger, and his shoulders were _facing_ the target.

"Do they teach you _nothing_ about archery at Camp Half-Blood?" Artemis asked, correcting his form again, "Draw . . . stop."

Once again, Percy's form was in shambles.

" _Di immortals_ , this is harder than I thought." Artemis swore, "Draw back the arrow and keep it there for as long as possible."

Percy gave a valiant effort. He really did, and his arms were hardened from years of sword-fighting. In truth, he lasted longer than Artemis expected, but still fell far short of what a Hunter _should_ be able to do.

Eventually, his thumb and index fingers slackened, and the arrow loosed and the shaft flew . . . until it appeared back in Artemis' hand.

"Watch me and tell me what's different about our forms." Artemis instructed, drawing her arrow back. Unlike Percy, who held the bow where he wanted it and pulled the string back with his arm, Artemis started with the bow centered, then pulled the string and shaft apart with the muscles of her back.

"You're facing the target with one shoulder, and you're using your back to draw the bow." Percy noted.

"Correct. I'm also holding the string with my index and middle fingers curled around it on either side of the arrow. While holding it between your thumb and index could cause it to slip from your grasp, the correct way prevents that." Artemis released the arrow, and it went into the exact center of the target.

She loosed two more after that, both coming so close to the first that one of them actually _cut off_ a feather of the first near the shaft.

"Now copy me. Do exactly as I do." Artemis ordered, then drew another arrow.

Percy copied it faithfully, and once Artemis deemed it was acceptable form, he loosed the arrow. It didn't come anywhere _near_ the target.

"Hmph. Don't aim down the shaft of the arrow -no matter how powerful the bow is, the arrow _will_ drop at any significant range." instructed the goddess, "You know how far away that target is, and after a while you will know how much the arrow drops. Keep practicing, alternating between these five targets."

Artemis walked off, and Percy drew again, seeing in his mind's eye Artemis drawing her own bow, her form perfect.

Percy breathed out slowly, loosing the arrow. It missed, and the next one as well.

He kept going at it, though, focusing on at least _hitting_ _one_ of the targets before Artemis came back. Arrow upon arrow bounced off nearby tree trunks or dug into the ground.

"Look who I found spying on us." Artemis said from behind him. Percy turned, seeing Liliana just a few steps behind the goddess.

"That's an impressive number of misses, brother. Keep it up." Liliana said, clapping him on the shoulder before going to the longest target.

"Learning how to shoot a bow takes a _long_ time." Artemis agreed, "Keep trying, and by the end of the week, you'll hit the target at _least_ a few times."

Artemis disappeared into the forest again, leaving Percy to fire arrows until his back was a dull ache, his fingers raw from drawing back the bowstring, and arms sore from being in the same position for an untold amount of time.

Meanwhile, Liliana was still firing away at the longest sets of targets, much faster -and more accurate- than Percy. About halfway through, Percy realized was she was _actually_ doing -firing left-handed. She was right-handed -Percy picked that up along the way- but she was doing a mirrored version of Percy's own stance.

And she was still pegging targets a hundred fifty meters away from her. It wasn't quite up to a Hunter's standard of shooting, but the daughter of Poseidon was well on her way.

Meanwhile, Percy was barely getting started down that path.

Artemis was looking through the forest for a certain type of prey -the type that seemed to be spying on her. She could feel something's gaze on her as she taught Percy to shoot, and the goddess needed to find out what, and she could still feel it even after she founded Lili.

Her search was fruitless -whatever entity that was spying on her and Perseus was nowhere to be found, and it was time to start the son of Poseidon on the hunting knives -at this point, more practice shooting wouldn't be any better for him.

Artemis took two knives that seemed to be Percy's size from the Armory, then headed to the range. He was still shooting -no real surprise there, she expected him to have much more endurance than the average Hunt inductee.

And -surprise, surprise- there was an arrow sticking out of three of the five targets Artemis instructed him to alternate between. True progress at last.

"Now for the next stage of your training," Artemis announced, "Take these and put the sheathes where they would be best for you."

Percy slung his bow as he turned, then took the sheathed knives and strung the sheathes on his belt.

"Follow me." Artemis ordered, "Do you have any questions so far?"

"How do you find a clearing the right size for an archery range everywhere you go?" Percy asked, "And why did I never run out of arrows?"

"The wild is one of my domains, and I can shape it however I wish to." answered the goddess, "When we leave, that clearing will be reclaimed by the forest. As for the arrows, I used a small portion of my power to enchant each quiver so that it never runs out of arrows. Every time you draw one, it is replaced by a like arrow from the Armory, which is in turn replaced by one that I summon."

Artemis took an arrow from her quiver, holding it up in front of Percy's eyes, "Do you see how it gives off moonlight?"

Percy nodded.

"Each arrow is made off a tiny portion of my essence, and eventually, ever fired arrow disappears, and the essence returns to me." Artemis closed her eyes, "And I create another arrow in turn. I take it you have seen similar auras around the Hunters?"

"So you also give all of your Hunters your power?"

"After a fashion. I mark them as part of my domain. My familiars." Artemis shrugged, "Athena came up with the method a long time ago, and as near as I understand it, each of the Hunters supply me with power, which in turn I use to sustain their immortality. What makes me one of the most powerful Olympians is that I have an ancient base of worshipers and priestesses. While it is hard to come across a demigod who truly worships their father and mother, that is the case for the Hunt."

"I won't have to sacrifice chickens to you or anything, will I?"

"Some keep to the old ways. No one has too, but some prefer that style of worship. In reality, all that is needed is for the Hunt to truly recognize me as a goddess and make offerings to me. I lead them, and they follow my commands." Artemis shrugged, "And so I, alone among gods, have a temple and following."

They entered a small clearing, and Artemis drew her knives. Percy mirrored her. He knew _about_ what to expect -training with Resuza and Lyra taught him a lot about the hunting knives.

"I'd imagine this will be a lot easier for you to learn than archery. I'll attack first, then we will switch. Ready?"

Percy nodded in consent, then Artemis came at him a lot slower than he expected. Even then, the knives felt clumsy and awkward in his hands, and the son of Poseidon barely managed to block her first strike. The second one got through, scoring a shallow cut on the back of his hand. Red blood dripping out.

"Hold." Artemis ordered, eyes on the drops of red, "You . . . aren't a god?"

Percy shook his head, "I never got the powers. I visited the Underworld a few times, and the skeletons followed my orders, but I never got any powers and my blood stayed red."

Artemis blinked, "I'll ask Athena about that later. In the mean time, we'd better use blunt weapons."

All of their blades shimmered, dulling until they could no longer pierce the skin. At least, that's what Percy hoped.

They trained together for a long time. Hours, certainly. By the end of it, Percy had picked up the basics of the hunting knives, and it wouldn't be long before he would be wielding them as adeptly as any.

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By the end of the week, the days of training had melded together. Artemis moved Percy from the closer targets to the farther ones, and tested him against Resuza. It was a close match, but Resuza pulled ahead at the end.

He was much further ahead in knifeplay, though. Already quick on his feet and accustomed to Annabeth's dagger, the hunting knifes were easy, and he could match most Hunters on the battlefield, at least for a while.

Tracking and hunting were harder to learn, along with basic survival skill, but Artemis was a very patient teacher. Best of all, the Hunt started to accept Perseus as one of their own. The spying presence Artemis felt went away eventually, and he was even trusted to be put on sentry duty.

Then the day approached when he would again have to face the gods -the ceremony.

Artemis looked over at Perseus from the edge of camp, "And you're sure your ready for this?"

Percy gave her a tight smile, "As ready as I'll ever be. I'll come back in one piece. I promise."

The goddess laid a hand on his shoulder -she found it was a lot easier to touch him when she thought of him as a Hunter, not a male.

And they both disappeared.

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Olympus was as impressive as always, the view over New York putting an instant damper on Percy before he tore away from the past.

It was six o' clock on the winter solstice -whether the date was intentional or not, he had no idea.

The throne room was mostly empty, with only a fire crackling cheerfully in the center.

Artemis grew to twenty feet tall, ascending to her throne, "Stand by my right side."

Percy did exactly that, a little less than a third of her height. Her clothing shifted to, becoming an elegant silver gown and what looked like a silver circlet woven into her raven hair. Funnily enough, he hadn't seen her hair be auburn for a while, nor had she been a twelve-year old. Instead, she was Percy's age.

The son of Poseidon inspected the side of the throne he was on, seeing engravings of names and battles in the silver. Artemis and her hunters slaying various beasts, dueling with the werewolves, and generally having an good time.

That's when the other gods started arriving, seeing Artemis and growing to massive sizes. It took them a few seconds to notice Perseus standing there.

He waved, "Yo."

"What're you doing down there, my boy?" Hephaestus asked.

Percy shrugged, "I never got my powers. For some reason."

Apollo frowned, "Not cool. I was waiting for you to hang out."

Hermes then jogged into the room, a bag over his back. He swung it down in front of Perseus, "Here you are. Please use Hermes Delivery for all your shipping needs!"

Percy laughed, and the god joined him.

Other small talk was exchanged before Zeus clapped his hands -it sounded like a thunderclap, go figure.

"Now begins the gift-giving ceremony to welcome Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, to the halls of the gods." he said officially, "I will give mine first."

The assembled Olympians eventually went silent, and Zeus stood, "It was discovered that no Enemy of Olympus could be made a god. As such, I am formally lifting the Enemy of Olympus status from Perseus Jackson."

There was an ominous crackle of thunder, then the air popped as Perseus suddenly grew in size, mirroring the rest of Olympus.

Percy bowed to feign respect -apparently, it was polite here, during this ceremony.

"Thank you, Zeus, and in return I can confidently say I can defend my domain against outside threats. So I hereby demobilize my armies, making the Underworld once more in a state of peace." Percy recited from memory. Baccina gave him some help in coming up with what to say to each god.

Triton stood next, facing Perseus with disdain and just a little respect, "The sea is bountiful with gifts, but my mother takes pride in reminding me that I do not yet have a mate. Thus, you are to be heir to the domains of the Sea and all it contains, should my line die out entirely."

They both bowed to each other, and Percy stood, "Every ruler needs a symbol to associate with, and that is why I bestow this gift upon you."

The demigod-turned-god extended his hands, and called the sea out from himself. Sea-green light coalesced around his form, being drawn through his arms and forming the shaft of a trident. _The_ Trident.

Triton took it gratefully, and it looked like he was reconsidering his opinion of the demigod, "Many thanks for such a fine gift. What as been lost to both of us may never _be_ again, but we can keep his legacy alive."

Percy nodded once, silent, as Hera stepped forward, "My gift is one that will be revealed later, much later, but is crucial to your deepest wishes. Do not let it be in vain, and take this advice to heart: Family is more important than anything else. Always stand by the ones you love."

The son of the sea took that in, then they bowed to each other. Percy bowed, that is, Hera curtsied professionally.

"I spent many hours searching for materials fit for a Queen, and eventually procured this gift for you." Percy rummaged around the bag of gifts Hermes delivered, then withdrew a simple rosewood box.

Hera opened it, revealing an exquisite cow made of dark red gemstone, and a matching peacock. They were expertly crafted and beautifully made, priceless works of art. The goddess snapped the box shut, smiled in appreciation, and stepped back.

Hephaestus went next, stepping forward and holding out a small capsule. His voice was gruff as he said, "This'll make Riptide turn into anything made out of metal. Just slice it in half with your blade, and you can change it however you want to, whenever you want to."

Percy bowed, and Hephaestus bowed his head and upper back as much as he could, but didn't go any lower.

"I know you respected Daedulus and his inventions, so I compiled a list of all of Daedulus' data on this vessel." Percy replied as he straightened out, taking out another box. It was full of terabites of data -Daedulus had a _lot_ of stuff on his laptop.

Athena stepped forward after Hephaestus went back, a hefty book appearing in her hands, "It is said that knowledge is power, and from stories I have heard, you have much more knowledge than power. I would suggest reading more."

Percy bowed, taking the book and setting it down before pulling two items from the bag, "Years ago, you mended this and gave it to me, but I find it reminds me too much of Annabeth. I would like you to have both of these."

Athena took the hat without comment, but smiled as Percy also gave her Annabeth's teddy bear. It looked well-loved, but Percy didn't want to touch it.

Dionysus got up grumpily and plodded over, "I wish I didn't have to give anything to the sea brat, but here you go."

A bottle of wine appeared in his hands, one that looked old an aged well. Percy took it gratefully, putting it aside before taking his own gift, "It has occurred to me that a man so cultured in _most_ forms of alcohol should complete his collection."

Percy took a bottle of fine vodka from his bag -something Dionysus had never seen before. He took it eagerly, taking a long swill as he went back to his grapevine thrown.

Next was Apollo, smiling his kilowatt smile, and in his hands was a book, "I heard from someone that you were getting a little close to my little sis. So I got this, 'cause I knew she'd kill me if I said I'll let you date her. I hope _Seven Easy Steps to Woo Your Goddess_ works for you."

Percy went red in the face while Artemis blushed heavily.

"Th-thank you, and I decided that an archer such as yourself deserves a work of art as well." Percy, in his hands, held a exquisite golden arrow, carved with beautiful scenes of music, healing, but also plague and war, "Should you shoot an ally with this arrow, they will be healed, no matter what injury they have. An enemy would be dealt a mortal wound."

Apollo took it, twirled it, and put it in a quiver that appeared on his back, "Tell me if you need any tips on archery. Artemis likes to think she knows it all, but really- OWWW!"

Artemis fixed her brother with a glare as she came forward, a small book in her hands. No, not a book, a notebook, and she gave it to Perseus without commented.

The son of the sea stared at it for a full five seconds before putting it away and bowing deep, "Thank you. In return, I thought it would be better to give a gift to the Hunt instead, so I have this to give."

"This" was in a small box, which Artemis promptly opened and withdrew a silver tiara. It was a masterwork, far outshining Apollo's arrow and Hera's jewels.

Artemis smiled at her newest addition, "I'm sure Thalia will like it."

Percy smiled back easily, "I hope so. This was the first gift I came up with, and the last one finished."

None of the gods missed the byplay before Ares stepped forward, "I thought about kicking your face in, but Aphrodite wouldn't like that. So this is what I'm gonna do. One day, in the future, I'm gonna attack you. First, I'm gonna slug you right in the jaw, and when you're down, I'm gonna take time to break all the bones in your feet, then work my way up. Then I'm taking a lead pipe to your face until-"

Percy interrupted him, "Yeah, you'll try. Maybe this'll help, since you couldn't seem to beat me with the last sword you had."

It was, predictably, a sword. But it was a solid one, engraved with scenes of blood and war. Skulls dominated the hilt, and the crossguard was a pair of idealized spears, and the blade was died bloodred. It was perfectly balanced and huge, perfect for the god.

Ares grinned, "You got spunk, kid. This is gonna be _fun_."

Aphrodite was next, her step sultry and her hips popping with each step. She was oozing sexiness, but Percy met her gaze steadily and his eyes didn't ever dip to her plunging neckline.

"It isn't that easy to seduce me." Percy said first, "Someone much better than you's tried."

She gasped, "Who?"

Percy smiled, zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

Aphrodite frowned, but went ahead anyways with a small bottle, "This cologne will make you instantly attractive to anyone who smells it. It's great if you're in a pinch!"

Percy bowed slightly, then took something else from the bag, "I retrieved this years ago, and thought you should have it back."

"My scarf!" Aphrodite snatched it from his hands, "I've missed you so much."

Percy, meanwhile, did his best to force the scarf's cloying scent out of his mind as Hermes came up, "I heard you had some bad experience with these shoes before, but I fixed them up. No misbehaving, you two! You can only use them once a day, though."

In his hands were a pair of basketball shoes, the same that tried pull him into the Underworld, and Percy quickly stuffed them away before turning back to the god.

"I know you still mourn for Luke, and while Hades ruled, he languished in Punishment. But now, I pledge to admit him to the Isle of the Blest, as is his right. I will also lift the curse of the Oracle from May Castellan, making her once again the woman you knew."

Hermes smiled sadly, "Thank you."

Then there was one, last goddess. Hestia held in her hands a bowl, a plate, and cutlery, "In these dishes, you may will any food to appear, and it will. Remember to enjoy the comforts of home, and those who share your hearth. Never forget your family, for they have not forgotten about you."

Percy bowed, taking them graciously, "I could only think of one thing to give you, and that is a shrine of your own in the Underworld. Nowhere could use more warmth than there."

Hestia smiled, "Thank you. Nico would be glad to see that."

* * *

 **A/N: And it's over. The problem: How can you make a gradual build up between a goddess and an off-kilter demigod? I think I did the best I could, given the situation. Anyways, the last of the major plot twists should be over. Now it's just time to introduce everyone who's influences Percy together, and watch the explosions.**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: I may have to miss a few updates. Again. 'Cause finals are fun, ya'know?**

Chapter 22-

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Percy concentrated, focusing on the body of a gazelle he'd just shot. It quivered, then stood slowly and walked over to him. Awaiting commands.

The god smiled -he'd been trying for a gazelle for almost a month. Mice and other small rodents were the first things he tried to reanimate, then working his way up from there. Wolves took a while, but he got there eventually.

The Hunt swelled slightly in size -four young girls, ages eight, nine, eleven, and thirteen wanted to leave their abusive orphanage to become Hunters.

His bowmanship improved by a great deal, halfway to an acceptable level of speed and accuracy for a Hunter. Knifework, though, he mastered quickly and could match most experienced Hunters. Tracking and hunting was improving remarkably, and Artemis was teaching him how to use his powers -of course, he couldn't use their full extent, but it seemed that using no more than a demigod's power didn't constitute as "interfering" with lives.

Percy released his hold on the gazelle, then slung his bow and quiver, which promptly disappeared. The god crouched, picking up the animal and slinging it over his shoulders, walking back to camp and waving to the sentry on duty.

Then, of course, there was Lyra. Resuza ferried messages back and forth between them, as Percy didn't get enough time to meet between training with Artemis, training with Artemis, and -lastly- training with Artemis.

And that was a whole other headache. Percy knew he liked Lyra, but he also loved Artemis. Throw whatever relationship he had with Sylia into the mix . . . however he tried to do this, he'd be earning enemies, and he had enough of those to last a lifetime.

It was about four thirty PM, and most the Hunters would be returning from their individual hunts, or picking up some supplied from the nearest city.

Naomi -the Hunt's unofficial cook- said she had a surprise for them all, and secretly asked Percy for a gazelle to cook. When he entered the kitchen, there was another on the table. More than enough meat for eighteen people, and Percy had learned early on that the cook never counts on _one_ hunter to procure meat -there was always bad luck, after all.

"You remember how to skin and dress them, right?" Naomi asked, "Celyn had to go before she could do hers."

"Sure." Percy strung up the gazelles, then neatly skinned them and cleaned the bodies of most of the organs -and the head, of course. Then he scrapped fat off the skins, preparing them for the tents of which ever Hunter wanted them. Celyn and Percy, as the hunters of the catch, would have the first pick if they wanted the skins, then it was basically random.

Naomi started cutting the meat into thin strips, then tenderizing them. She waved towards the door, "You can go now. Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"I don't even know what you're making." Percy said, "But it looks good."

"It'll be great." Naomi murmured as Percy left to continue practicing archery. He spent most of his time these days sinking arrows into targets, improving himself little by little.

The four new Hunters were there already -unlike him, they had already been blessed by Artemis.

They were working on the easiest set of targets, while Percy moved down the field to a much harder. He wasn't ready for the hard- _est_ set yet, but he was getting there.

Percy stood, right shoulder facing the targets in front of him. Breathing out, he drew the first arrow, then started shooting as fast as he could draw arrows from the quiver.

That was they way a Hunter trained. They only had the time it took to draw and nock an arrow to aim, then they fired. Percy knew the distances and drop of the bow almost instinctively by now, and his arrows got closer and closer to the bullseyes with each shot, and he drew faster and faster until he finished the set of thirty with an arrow that hummed into the center of the furthest target.

Percy surveyed the results: Two misses, a handful of outer rings, but most of his arrows with in the middle to inner rings, with a select few hitting the center circle.

He took a deep breath, and the arrows disappeared. Then he started again, his bow spitting out arrows about once every one-and-three-quarter-seconds. Good, but not quite great yet. That would come later, and it _would_ come.

In the meantime, it need practice. A _lot_ of practice. Still, it was easy to see how far he'd come, and also how far he'd have to go.

All the way up to dinner.

"Perseus, if you would?" Artemis gestured to empty space in front of them all.

"Don't blame me if it comes out made of obsidian and carved with skulls." Percy replied, then concentrated. Just like that, a _mostly_ wooden table popped into existence, big enough to seat all eighteen of them.

Naomi and a few others came out of the kitchen tent laden with a few large platters and a host of smaller plates, knives, and forks. On the platters were heaps of thinly sliced and breaded venison. Bowls were filled with all different kinds of sauce, and everyone served themselves.

Of course, the Hunters first sacrificed a few strips to Artemis.

Sixteen hungry Hunters and two immortals dug into their meals -and it was great.

"Good job, Naomi!" Pheobe called out, Scathach and Panacea mirroring the sentiment.

Percy gave her a thumbs up, and Thalia gave her double.

Artemis nodded once, and that meant more to the aspiring chef than anything else.

"What are they?" Liliana asked as she finished up.

Naomi smiled, "Venison escalopes! I saw them in a French cookbook."

Afterwards, the Hunt split up again. The four new Hunters and their mentors -Veronica, Ros, Baccina, and Huiliang. It was Huiliang's first time mentoring a new Hunter, but the rest of them made sure she didn't mess up _too_ badly.

Perseus, meanwhile, went straight back to the archery range, only to find Artemis already there.

"We need to talk."

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Hestia looked through a small cluster of silver flames Artemis summoned, taking in the situation around it.

"Where are we going with this, Percy?"

Percy cocked his head, "What?"

"I'm – I – well, we both love each other. Where are we going with this?"

The god shrugged, "I was just going with the flow. I've loved training with you, and, well, we'll still need to get Zeus' permission if we want to make it official."

"I have also found training enjoyable."

Silence reigned over them.

"Well, this is awkward." Percy said, "How about I get us tickets to the new Star Wars movie? You'd probably like it. I could get tickets for the whole Hunt if you want."

"I have a few things to ask you, regarding your new domains. First, can you make sure none of the more recently deceased Hunters are in Punishment?" Artemis asked, "Second, you still need to take a symbol of power."

"Oh. I'll be right back." Percy disappeared, and Artemis cursed. She should've left off flashing for a later date.

Percy appeared before the Fields of Punishment, squinting through the smog and volcano smoke that seemed to be ever-present here. Nothing stood out to him, so he disappeared again.

"Minos. Tell me how you have judged the Hunters who died in the last . . . two years."

The ghostly judge, behind his golden mask, smiled cruelly, "They got just what they deserved, of course. No woman will-"

"Tell me."

"Hades sentenced them all to punishment."

"Put them in Elysium." Percy growled, "Now."

"First-"

"Right. Now." Percy said, his voice clearly and abundantly angry.

Minos swallowed nervously, "Of course, sir. It is done."

Percy scowled, "Alecto!"

The Fury spiraled down from above, "What do you need, Lord Perseus?"

Percy really didn't like using the Furies. But, currently, they were the best ways to get this done, "What were Hades' orders concerning people who've died in the last few wars?"

"Anyone who fights with Olympus is sentenced to Punishment, of course." Alecto replied.

"Change it. Everyone is to be judged fairly. And find me a replacement for Minos."

The demon bowed, "As you wish. If that is how you wish to do things, there is one more soul that may interest you, Lord Perseus."

"Who?" Perseus demanded, striding towards Punishment.

"A goddess. Demeter."

Percy's eyes snapped shut and he trembled with rage. But the key to shooting straight was keeping calm, and Artemis had pounded that into him for as long as they trained. No anger. No fear. No feeling. Only the world around you.

The god breathed out slightly, "Take me to her."

"Very well, Lord Perseus. She was confined to one of the more . . . mild sections."

Alecto led him across the Fields of Punishment, past tortures to horrible to describe until they reached a small building that looked hewn from a single, massive piece of rock.

"She is within, Lord Perseus." Alecto gestured, "I cannot open it."

Percy sighed, then grabbed the handle and pulled. Nothing happened. Then he pushed slightly, and the door yawned opened.

Inside were rows of chairs, each with a single occupant sitting in them. Drifting around the room were spirit-like creatures.

Demeter was sitting near the entrance; Clearly a recent addition. Percy ran forward, grabbing her, "What did you do to her?"

"These are the Oneiroi." Alecto said, "Daimones of dreams and nightmares, Lord Perseus. They are under your command."

Percy turned, "Release her. Now!"

One drifted over, putting a ghostly hand on her face. Demeter, or her ghost rather, slumped forward.

"She will be unconscious for hours yet, Lord Perseus, as her mind tries to make sense of the state inflicted upon her."

"How is this a light punishment?" Percy demanded.

"Many times, one does not remember their dreams." Alecto answered, "Yet, in the moment of the nightmare, they are just as terrified."

Percy scowled, disappearing with Demeter. He didn't like being in Hades' palace, but this was one place where he could put her, "Tell me when she wakes. And don't let her leave the room. And get one of your sisters to do the paperwork to put her in Elysium or the Isle."

Alecto bowed, "It shall be done."

"It'd better be." With that, Percy disappeared.

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Artemis was waiting for him when he got back. With an arrow, of course.

Percy ducked and spun, his mind taking a split second to trace the arrow back to the bow it was fired from, but Artemis was nowhere to be found, "Now that's just cheating."

The god ducked as another arrow flew in response to his question. Then disappeared into a shadow.

This was a rather unique part of Percy's newfound powers. After shadow-traveling quite extensively, and more often than not going to China, Thailand, or India, he learned to enter a shadow . . . but not leave it.

It was still early going, but Percy could extend his senses from any shadow around. After all, the best places to hide are always near shadows.

Percy dropped from a treebranch above Artemis' head, catching her shoulders with booted feet and leaping off, hunting knives in hand.

" _I_ was cheating?" Artemis accused, " _That_ was cheating!"

"So you surrender?"

"Of course not." Artemis smiled devilishly, her own hunting knives drawn.

Then she started shape-shifting.

Percy saw it before, in her battle with Atlas, but this was a lot more brutal. What seemed like a normal slash from her knives turned into the arm of a bear at the last second, bowling over the god.

He was disarmed of both his knives, but Riptide came out in it's place. Then it was the son of Poseidon's turn to start cheating.

A miniature whirlwind of water swirled around him, pushing Artemis back while he attacked with impunity.

But Percy was losing strength, and fast. Even as a god, he couldn't keep this up forever -not without more practice, anyways.

All around him, the wind slowed, and water started sloughing off. Percy narrowed his eyes, forcing his will upon the water until Artemis leapt up, bow in hand. A volley of arrows cut through the weakened whirlwind, dispersing it as the goddess' bow disappeared, and her hunting knives took their place.

Percy kicked out, catching one wrist and forcing it to open as he attacked with Riptide. But he wouldn't win this way. That, at least, he knew.

"Truce?" asked the god hopefully.

"No."

Percy gave a straight thrust, but Artemis caught his wrist and jerked. The god stumbled forward, barely dancing around Artemis' knife. Riptide stuck in a tree and was wrenched out of his hands, so Percy did the last thing he could think off: Bracing and tackling Artemis too the ground.

It surprised both of them, and Percy slammed his fist into Artemis' other wrist, forcing her to release the other knife.

Artemis twisted, got a foot under him, and pushed. Her godly strength flung him up, but Percy caught himself on a branch and swung toward the goddess again, summoning Annabeth's dagger to his hand as he did so.

It almost worked. His left hand came up, batting away _one_ hunting knife while the dagger stabbed forward.

Percy braced himself on a hand and two feet, while Artemis was lying on her back.

Her hunting knife at his throat, while the dagger merely glanced off of a bone in her arm. She won.

Then Percy leaned down and kissed her, full on the lips. The first time he'd done that with a virgin goddess.

Pheobe spun, walking away from the pair in disgust. She knew the male would have no sense of decency -but her Lady ought to know better than that.

A Cyclops burst out of the undergrowth in front of her, and died from an arrow through the throat. Pheobe lowered her bow, continuing onward. A hellhound came from the bottom of an oak, but she burned it into shadow. She was _pissed_.

Flames flickered through her hair, reminiscent of her father's, and crackled around her fingers. Monsters erupted from the trees all around her, and she burned them all away. Her bow was burnt to a crisp from the blazing fury she surrounded herself in . . . that's when a roar shook the forest.

A giant figure with wings and a scorpion's tale flew from the ground.

"Finally." it rumbled, in a voice ancient before even Pheobe was born. She barely even understood it, "Gaea's boon has woken me at last . . ."

Pheobe scowled: Kampe.

She looked exactly like Pheobe remembered: Half human, half reptile, and ugly as all hell. She seemed to have lost her scimitars, but replaced them with her older weapon: a fiery whip.

The Hunter crouched, drawing her knives. The bindings began to catch fire under her grip, but they'd last.

She ran forward, waiting for a head to appear in the chaotic mess between her halves, and when a wolf's jaws snapped at her, she embedded her knives right into the shapeless madness.

Kampe howled in pain, lashing the whip, but Pheobe just smiled.

The Hunter extended a hand, and the whip came straight for her, wrapping around her wrist. Pheobe held on as Kampe yanked back, pulling the Hunter right towards her speeding fist.

The daughter of Hephaestus and the monster's fist slammed together, throwing her back until the whip, still with her arm in it's grasp, stopped her.

Pheobe groan, but hand over hand pulled herself over to Kampe and jumping.

She timed it perfectly. Kampe's left fist whistled just under her, then gravity took hold . . . until she caught the two knives she left sunken deep into Kampe's midsection, slowing her fall as they slowly slid out.

Pheobe landed on her feet, catlike, and gave the monster a feral grin. Bolts of fire flew from her knives, streaking at the monsterous _thing._ They didn't do much.

But Pheobe just smiled, and beckoned with her knives.

Kampe roared.

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"What was that?" Percy asked, rolling to his feet.

Artemis scowled -she knew that roar, "Nothing good. Get back to camp. Summon anything you can. Get Athena and Apollo. Don't let anyone come after us."

"But-"

"That's an _order_." Artemis commanded, her voice hard and uncompromising.

Percy flashed away unhappily, leaving Artemis to close her eyes, reaching into the forest.

This was her home, her domain. But something was at work here, ancient and evil. Older than her. As old as creation, perhaps, and certainly not a good thing. Something was blocking her sight.

But at the very least, she knew what _direction_ Kampe's roars came from, and sprinted off.

Percy appeared in the center of camp, the put his hands to the ground and concentrated. All around him, skeletons crawled from the ground, all armed. The demobilization was still in process, after all.

"What is it?" Liliana demanded.

"I don't know. Artemis told me to get Athena and Apollo and summon anything I can. Don't leave."

Another roar shook the ground, and Liliana's eyes widened, " _Her_? But . . . fuck. I'll get Apollo. Baccina! Get your mother down here!"

Percy kept summoning skeletons, flooding the clearing and the forest beyond. Greek zombies locked shields, while ranks of Civil War-era skeletons leveled their muskets.

Behind them still, more and more modern artillery crew were setting up, well, artillery. Grenadiers waited, explosives in hand, and Persian swordsman -the oh-so-aptly named Immortals- had weapons drawn.

Athena came down just as another roar echoed through the trees, "It's Kampe."

"How did she reform that quickly?" Percy asked.

"The whole Gaea fiasco, if you remember, greatly increased the reformation time of monsters. After her death, her last action summoned back some of the darkest monsters of mythology. We were lucky enough that it took Kampe even _this_ long to return to the world." Athena said, "Move your front lines back, and have your back lines of rifleman face the sky. When Kampe appears, have them surround her while the melee troops provide distraction. Only massed volleys will have _any_ effect against her."

Finally, Artemis burst into the scene. Pheobe was left on one knee, bloody and broken but the fire in her eyes burning brighter than ever.

"I have to get you out of here!"

Pheobe turned, "You can't."

The Hunter stood, wavering on her feet while Kampe's whip cracked, "Remember . . . why you left me. Nothing is worth more than the Hunt."

Pheobe walked forward, slowly, as Artemis _ran_ forward. But she'd never catch up. Not in time.

The Hunter stabbed a knife deep in Kampe's body, then her other.

Using her knives like icepicks, she climbed up the monster's body she was right at the top. Kampe blindly beat at her, but Pheobe took it. Bones snapped, but the Hunter pulled herself right up to the monter's mouth. And stuck her arm right in.

"Now . . . die."

Her body turned to fire, then ash as a massive explosion vaporized the trees all around her. Kampe's form was outlined in white, then she staggered away. Her wings were burnt, along with most of her body.

The forest was substantially worse off, though. There was nothing living within two hundred feet of the big boom. Artemis barely had time to shield herself before she was flung away by the sheer force of the blast.

The Kampe hit the ground with a satisfying _thud,_ unmoving. Then it slowly crumbled into dust.

The monster was dead . . . at the cost of Pheobe's life.

Percy looked at the sky nervously, seeing a flash of flames turn night into day for a split second. The _boom_ reached them nearly a half second later, shaking the ground.

Artemis came out of the forest, shaken. Percy was the first to her, pulling her into an awkward hug.

The strong, silent goddess clung to him, shaking as she buried her face into her shoulder.

Athena raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment while Apollo had "called it" written all over his face.

Panacea was the next to come forward, placing a hand on Artemis' shoulder and forcing her own abilities as a goddess into her Lady before Percy gently led her away, making eye contact with Liliana and silently motioned his head towards the kennel. Lili nodded -message received.

"It's okay." Percy murmured into her ear, "It's over."

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Artemis cried herself to sleep that night, and Percy stayed with her the whole time. He could only imagine what it was like when he was a raving lunatic.

Liliana came in a little later with Amber, who jumped up and started snuggling with her favorite goddess.

"Will you stay for the whole night?" Liliana whispered.

"Yes." Percy replied; No hesitation.

Halfway through, Alecto appeared, but the Fury took a hint and disappeared again.

A little later, Artemis started struggling against some nightmare, but Percy gently stroked hair and the goddess calmed down, eventually fading into deep sleep again.

He didn't even realize it was morning until Panacea came in, checking Artemis and bringing food for them both.

He didn't know it was midday until Liliana came in to feed Amber, then left again.

He didn't see it was evening until Baccina walked in, checking on them both.

Artemis finally woke at midnight, blinking and sitting up. She rubbed Amber's ears, and the wolf almost _purred_ in contentment.

Percy waved slightly, then came forward with a plate, bowl, cup, and silverware, handing them to Artemis.

The goddess smiled gratefully to him, and watched as chicken noodle soup filled the bowl. She dug in hungrily, and the bowl never ran out until the goddess was done.

"Thank you." Artemis said.

Percy waved it away, "It was nothing."

"Here." Artemis scooted over, "You look tired."

"What would the Hunters say?" Percy asked.

Artemis blushed, "Don't get any ideas. You're sleeping and that's it."

"I know." Percy leaned back, eyes closing, and drifted off himself.

Artemis watched him, stroking Amber's fur, "How long was I out? That long? And Perseus waited?"

Amber nodded, then gave her a look.

"No, this isn't going to be a habit. Yes, I know he's in your spot. You can just lay on top of him. He won't mind." Artemis said, and Amber huffed before curling up on top of Percy. Artemis smiled, watching them before sinking into thought.

Pheobe. She was with the Hunt for a long, long time, and Artemis still loved her even after they broke up . . . really, though, Artemis left her. For good reason, to be sure, but now . . . being with Perseus . . . she couldn't help but feel guilty.

And now she was dead. She'd make Elysium and be reborn. She'd probably end up joining the Hunt again -dead Hunters had a penchant for finding their way back.

Either way, Artemis would mourn her with the rest of the Hunt, then move on the best she could.

The morning came, and Artemis woke the still-slumbering Percy and the wolf on top of him. Amber, let it be noted, was _not_ happy at getting woken up, and promptly curled up again the moment they left the camp.

Everyone was walking on eggshells around Artemis, but she waved at them all, "We need to gather Pheobe's possessions in lieu of her body. Volunteers?"

Liliana raised her hand, along with Ros.

"Good. Celyn, Naomi, prepare the _chaoi_ and _enagismata_." Artemis disappeared back into her tent, while Percy wandered back to the range. Almost every free moment he had, he was sinking arrows into targets.

Soon, he knew, Artemis would teach him how to communicate with the Hunt's wolves. It was very similar to the language of Lupa's pack, but different at the same time. Then came falconry.

The sun was sinking in the sky when Artemis summoned them all to the center of camp.

"Before we leave, there is a question that needs to be answered. No male has entered the resting place of our sisters." Artemis said, "In-"

Liliana waved a hand, interrupting her, "Perseus is one of us now. You may not have accepted his oath, but he _is_ a Hunter. We shouldn't treat him any different than the rest of us."

"And the rest of us agree?" Artemis asked, and one by one, the Hunt nodded, "Very well."

They all disappeared, flashing to a place Percy had never seen before.

Rows upon rows of graves were aligned in perfect rows and columns, with simple headstones that showed only names and dates. Some were thousands of years old when they kicked the bucket; Some were only in their teens.

Pheobe's body was lowered into the grave, then Liliana stood at the head of the earthen hole, "I've known Pheobe for a very long time, and I know her well. She is strong, stubborn, and dependable. She saved my life dozens of times, and I can remember each one of them. Many times, she was the only thing that stood between a success and failure. I've seen her track a manticore over solid rock. But I'll also never forget how she's trained our sisters to be the best Hunters they can be. Baccina, Zahara and Tyse, among other. Pheobe was a true Hunter, in title and in action. Let us always keep her in our hearts."

Ros was next, "I was Pheobe's own mentor, and I think I know her better than most. I'd like to say that I made her the Hunter she was, but her caliber comes from within. She had a strength that is rarely seen, even in the Hunt. Only a few years ago, she was tricked into wearing a shirt covered in Centaur blood, and wanted to accompany Zoe on her mission the next despite acid burns on over half of her body. That level of grit only comes from within; As much as I try, I could never teach someone that. I am proud to say she is one of the finest Hunters I have trained. Let us always be inspired by her example."

Lastly was Panacea, "I could tell you how many times Pheobe entered my tent with unspeakable injuries. She never hesitated to protect another with her own body, and payed the price for that. Ripped up muscles, broken ribs, even bone splinters in her heart. And yet, she has among the least amount of time recovering for all the times she stepped in. Pheobe was strong of will, strong of heart, and strong of body. This world would truly be a worse place without her, and we can never forget that. Let us always remember her selflessness."

Naomi stepped forward, placing a bowl full of a mix of things at the base of the grave while Liliana, Ros, and Panacea each cut a small lock of hair and tucked them in Pheobe's pockets.

The Hunt bowed their heads, each whispering a prayer to Pheobe, the new Hunters quickly picking up on the fact. Then _enagismata_ was placed at the head of the grave, and Artemis produced a _drachma_. This she placed in an opposite pocket, sending it to the deceased Hunter's spirit.

The grave was quickly filled in, and the Hunt bowed their heads one last time as a show of respect for such a brave and strong Hunter.

Artemis flashed them all back to camp, and the tables were filled with exotic kinds of food.

No one had an appetite.

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The Hunt mourned for Pheobe that night, celebrating her life and accepting her death. It would take longer for some than others, but Artemis was sure the _entire_ Hunt wouldn't fall into a funk.

So by the end of the week, they were basically back to normal.

"Perseus, no Hunter can communicate with my wolves until they have my blessing. We can either let the rest of the Hunt force you to use some kind of nonsense, or," Artemis smiled devilishly, "you can take the normal oath, in private, and we can laugh at them."

"I like the second one more." Percy replied, "I only know about half the oath, though. I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I . . ."

"Turn my back on the company of men."

"I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt. I think." Percy finished.

Artemis smiled, and Perseus began to glow with a soft silver light.

"Wow. I can see what Bianca meant." Percy looked at his hand, clenching it into a fist and releasing it.

"I was actually lying to you earlier. The ability to converse with my creatures is merely a power like any other. It works through touch, though the closer your mind is to the creature's, the better you will communicate. Or, it would normally. Being a god, that particular hurdle is gone for you."

Percy reached out, gently petting Amber. Now, though, where he previously only felt her warm fur under his hand, he felt the coursing of blood, her lungs moving as she breathed, her heart beating, muscles shifting . . . it was strange, but now she felt so much more _alive_ than before.

"Good. Concentrate on Amber's thoughts. Right now, she's probably hungry. Try to find that hunger. Not the stomach, though."

Percy nodded, closing his eyes and concentrating and reaching out with his willpower -much like he did for water- and instead felt the intelligence of the wolf he was petting. It was nothing more than vague feelings on the thought part, but images were clear. He could see the smile on his own face, and on Artemis'.

The memory of his oath being spoken, of lying on the bed, of curling up on top of him in the night a while ago.

"As you grow more used to the power, you can focus to find a particular memory. For instance, where she spotted a monster. Speaking with a falcon is exactly the same."

"Ok-ay. Just as a slight question, how angry do you think Zeus would be if he knew I was growing a Hesperides Tree?"

Artemis blinked, "You're _what_?"

"I'm growing a Hesperides Tree. Golden Apples? Ladon? Ring a bell?"

"You're _what_?"

"I stuck the seeds in some dirt and poured water on it. Actually, Tyra took care of it more than I did, but apparently she's about to end the whole "bodyguard" thing, and I want it back. My last order to her was to take care of it."

"So you _gave_ a Hesperide sapling to an _Amazon_ and trusted her not to take it back to Hylla and present it as a gift?" Artemis asked slowly.

Percy frowned, "I thought we liked the Amazons."

"The difference is _I_ am female. _You_ are a male. They wouldn't steal from me. They wouldn't view it as _your_ property in the first place."

"Oh, yeah. Iron collars." Percy swallowed nervously.

"But . . . you are still my servant, which means you, and everything you own, belongs to _me_."

"So . . ."

"The Amazons would give it back and be embarrassed while doing so. In the form of a few thousand _drachma_. The Hunt's funds have been running low."

"You _could_ ask _me_ for money, you know." Percy suggested, "Only the God of Wealth here, with all the gold, silver, and jewels in the world."

"I might have forgotten about that. Either way, you _are_ now an official member of the Hunt." Artemis grinned nastily, "So watch your back. Wherever you are. And don't hesitate to prank back."

* * *

 **A/N: Dish: Venison escalopes. Also, I didn't choose to kill Pheobe, just so you know. Lastly, care to guess why there happened to be several dozen monsters waiting for Pheobe? With the reduced number of Hunters in one place, their scent _should_ attract less monsters. Right?**

 **Please review – I love the feedback.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: It is my sad duty to inform you all that this story is over halfway done. There will be a sequel, however, if you aren't too bored of this plot.**

Chapter 23-

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Percy silently shadow-traveled into Thalia's tent, then -confident he was unnoticed- started hiding alarm clocks. Under the bed, in the dresser, in the desk -all over the place.

They were set to go off every five minutes after ten o' clock PM, all night long. Revenge, as they say, was a dish best served cold.

The previous day, Thalia managed to sneak into his tent and set a plethora of traps for him to trip the next day.

None of them were more harmful than an envelope full of shaving cream or a sticky shower -apparently by putting Jolly Ranchers inside the showerhead makes it real sticky once someone turned it on.

That was another thing Artemis kept -he used the Hunt's extra bathroom, making it easy for Thalia to rig the shower, tape the faucets so that they'd spray outwards -at him- and make shaving cream spurt out all over his toothbrush.

But now he had his vengeance, and snuck back to his own tent as Thalia entered her own, ready for a good night's sleep.

He didn't expect someone to be waiting for him. Certainly not a daughter of Athena sitting crosslegged on the floor, the book Athena gave him -War and Peace in Ancient Greek- lying open off to the side. Baccina was reading a smaller notebook that looked like it was nestled inside War and Peace.

Cat-like, she stood, closing it, "You may wish to give this a once-over. It may save your life someday."

And she brushed right past him without another word.

Percy looked at her, then back at the notebook in hands. _A Short Guide to Olympian Politics & Predictions of the Future of Perseus Jackson_

Definitely Athena's work. But that would have to wait -the sun was doing down, and after a long day of training, Percy was exhausted.

As a precaution, though, Percy summoned a flock of skeletal birds with orders to fly at any Hunter who walked in during the night.

The next day, he woke to see Thalia lying outside her tent, wrapped in blankets.

As the god passed, she cracked open an eye, "I really hate you, Kelp Head."

"You should've thought about that _before_ you pranked me." he extended a hand, "Square?"

Thalia grumbled, "Fine. Get those alarms out."

She clasped his hand and pulled herself up, and Percy grinned, "You look like you might've had a run-in with a few skeletal birds, too."

Then the son of the sea walked into Thalia's tent, and winced from how loud the alarms were. But he got them out in short order, and turned them off one by one.

"That should be all of them."

"It'd better be. I'm taking a nap." Thalia said, getting up and bringing her blankets back in.

Percy smiled before walking off to the archery range -again. He shot for half an hour before going to the armory tent and walking in.

There were buckets of arrows here. He knew that -he fletched them and sharpened the arrowheads.

Why, then, if Artemis could summon them herself? Why do they exist?

He picked up an arrow from the many buckets lying there and slowly twirled it.

It wasn't like there were all that many Hunter's left, either, and fewer than that able to fight.

Monster attacks picked up drastically, and more and more Hunters were getting attacked on their hunts.

Most of the time, it was a few _draecaenae_ or a small pack of hellhounds. But why were they attacking _now_? Were they just re-forming after Prometheus' army was defeated?

Why, if there were half-a-dozen daughters of Poseidon or Neptune, did two of them survive but Thalia was the only daughter of Zeus/Jupiter? And why were there no daughters of Hades or Pluto in the Hunt, either?

Why? Why did Kampe reform almost on top of the Hunt's camp?

There were too many questions, and not enough answers. Artemis Iris-Messaged the Amazons and got the Golden Apple Tree back, so that was one less headache Percy had.

More than that, there were Hades' words: _With the last of my breath, I curse your friends. Those you love will suffer for any victories you achieve. For everything you gain, you will lose much, much more._

He'd already lost a great deal, but now he felt like he was finally getting back to _living_. But what happened to Hades' curse? When Hades cursed things, it was serious. Percy knew that much from the Oracle.

But _this_?

Another question he didn't have the answer to.

Percy scowled, putting the arrow back in the bucket and walking outside.

It was time for breakfast, then some light reading.

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Percy blinked, putting down _A Short Guide to Olympian Politics & Predications of the Future of Perseus Jackson. _

He opened it again, read the page again, and put it down (again).

 _Zeus has always sought to keep the throne in his grasp, believing that he is the most capable and suited for it. Whether that is the truth is questionable, but he will always try to make sure we think favorably of him through good decisions and ensure that we respect him through shows of might. In this case, he perhaps believes he has already made an enemy of you by repeatedly demanding your execution. As such, I expect you will be given a gift soon. More specifically, a virgin goddess._

 _You are a god now. Thus, you need an immortal wife, and Zeus will likely offer you the pick of his sisters and daughters. He believes that you and I share a connection through Annabeth, and the connection that you and Artemis share is already quite obvious. Hestia, the third former Olympian virgin goddess, he likely has the least faith in._

 _I do not suspect he knows what removing the domain of Virginity from Artemis will do to the Hunt, however. Zeus is many things, but he has never been malicious, nor has he ever killed without reason. With that in mind, you must consider your options:_

 _Marry Hestia and hope the spark of love is kindled between you two. Marry me and commit yourself to a loveless marriage. Marry Artemis, and likely condemn the Hunt to a swift demise._

 _You need not make your choice quickly. I expect at least three decades before Zeus begins to get nervous and question you loyalty._

This was bad. Very, very bad. Ideally, he would marry Artemis and ride off into the sunset, but the son of the sea had the feeling the Fates wouldn't be so kind.

Besides, what was this about " _Marry Artemis, and likely condemn the Hunt to a swift demise?"_

Was it Hades' curse? If he was with Artemis for the rest of his immortal life, he'd be happy . . . but would that make everyone around him sad? Could the curse kill everyone but them?

Still, another worrying part lay ahead.

 _Then we come to a separate problem. As a god, you will be given a harem. Most likely nymphs trained in the arts and a few close friends of your that you find attractive. I know not how to refuse one, for I was never given one due to my role as a virgin goddess -though you may wish to ask Artemis of this. However, I do know a small portion of how they operate:_

 _Members of your harem will be subject to your whims. The magic that binds them to you will be quite powerful, and will give them pain should they try to physically resist you, given that those actions aren't an order of yours._

 _They cannot leave your main palace and the grounds surrounding it -in your case, your Underworld fortress. The sole exception is when they are accompanying you somewhere else._

 _They become your property, and anything they own is owned by you instead. As such, you could sell a member of your harem to another god or goddess. Hermes and Apollo have done that many times in the past._

 _Lastly, they cannot use their powers gained from any source without your permission. That does not prevent them from using enchanted items in their -your, now- possession, such as Riptide or the Hat of Invisibility._

And _there's_ where the trouble was. Even _if_ the harem chosen for him didn't have any Hunters in it, he'd still be cut off from all of them. If it did . . . he might as well kill himself now.

Taking a step back from the Hunt itself, Percy found the very idea of "owning" someone repugnant.

No. He wouldn't become like Gabe. Trying to control someone like that . . . pushing them around . . . hitting them . . . even staring down that path was terrible.

So how could he solve this?

He needed some advice. From both his mother, and the mother-figure Demeter had become.

And he realized he left Demeter in his Underworld fortress this whole time.

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"Alecto!" Percy barked as soon as he appeared in the Underworld.

"I am here, my lord." The Fury rose out of the shadows in front of him, "What are your orders."

"Find my mother, and bring her here. And get one of your sisters to find Demeter."

"As you command." Alecto bowed and sunk back into the shadows.

Percy scowled and paced around the throneroom. Could he be that self-centered, only remembering Demeter after he needed her advice?

No, that couldn't be. It just couldn't.

Percy's scowl grew fiercer as he looked at Hades' throne of bones. Now his, he supposed. He didn't like it.

With ease, he grew to his full size, then put a foot on the throne and shoved.

It toppled, and Percy shoved it to the corner of the hall while he waved a hand, conjuring three comfy-ish chairs. They were pitch black, of course, but that was a small price to pay for it.

He shrunk himself again and took a seat, summoning complete firepit and setting it alight with dark flames.

It wasn't very warm in the Underworld, all things considered. Perhaps he could change that.

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It didn't take long for Alecto and another old hag -Magaera, Percy thought- to arrive back with two ghostly forms.

Demeter was the first to speak, "Congratulations. I am glad to see my sacrifice was not in vain."

Percy blinked back the tears that were welling up in great numbers, "I need your advice."

His mother didn't waste a second in rushing over to him and giving him a hug, "You've grown! And you're a god! Percy, I'm so proud of you!"

"But . . . I killed you. How can you forgive me?" Percy asked, slumping.

"What are you talking about? Robbers broke into the apartment and . . . but I'm just so glad you weren't there!"

"No." tears leaked from him, flowing down his cheeks, "Hades cursed me . . . and that's what killed you. I'm . . . I . . . Please . . . It's-"

"It isn't your fault." Sally said warmly, "I knew this could happen, that's why I made up my mind to support you in whatever you're doing. And look at how far you've come! Paul will want to hear all about it!"

"But-"

Sally put a finger to his lips, "No buts. Let me spend some time with my son."

Percy slumped even further, then rubbed the tears out of his eyes and sat up again, "Okay. How have you been?"

"I've been on the Isle of the Blest with Paul, and it's been good to not worry about work anymore. But I've gotten lots of great advice from other authors."

Percy smiled -his mother was so _good_ , even Minos couldn't find an excuse to put her anywhere but the Isle.

"What about you? How have you done without Annabeth to keep you straight?" Sally asked.

"I've joined the Hunt and made some friends."

"Oh, really? Any special someone I should know about?" prodded his mother.

Percy smiled, embarrassed, "Maybe one."

 _Or three_. He thought to himself.

"That's what I need your advice for, both of you. Athena told my I'd have to marry her, Artemis, or Hestia. I like Artemis a lot, but she also told me if I married her the whole Hunt could be destroyed." Percy's gaze hit the floor, "I don't know what to do. And then, I'm supposed to be given a harem, and I don't how to refuse it. I don't want to be like Gabe."

"Don't say things like that. You'll never be like _him_." Sally replied, "But you should follow your love. I _know_ you can find a way to be with the Hunt _and_ marryArtemis."

Demeter leaned forward, "If you wish to disband a harem, go to Hecate. I was assigned one in early times, but they were always getting in the way and distracting me from managing my domain. Those were years of famine and hunger, but I eventually sought out the Goddess of Magic and she disabled what bound them to me."

"What about Artemis and the Hunt?" Percy asked.

"I know not. The Hunt is composed of maidens, as you know. Perhaps Artemis losing her domain of Virginity would simply disband them." Demeter shrugged, "How that would "destroy" the Hunt, though . . . I have no idea. Plants and livestock are much more manageable than magic."

"I'll . . . see, I guess."

"So," Sally leaned in, "how did you manage to fall in love with a virgin goddess?"

Percy's mouth opened and closed several times before he could get any words out, "I . . . don't know. After Annabeth died, I was depressed and ended up being declared an Enemy of Olympus for attacking some children of Ares. I was sentenced to be Demeter's servant for eight months, Hades' for four, than Artemis' for the rest of my life."

"Demeter treated me well and helped me recover, and I can't thank you enough for it, but Hades broke me in every way imaginable." Percy shuddered, "Then I came to Artemis. In the beginning, she kept me busy. She didn't like what Hades did to me, so, from what I was told, got help from Demeter and Athena."

"And Hestia." Demeter cut in, "She managed to wake up a part of Percy's old self, but that didn't bring him back entirely. The best thing from then onward was to keep him working and gradually instill his good qualities back into him. I was captured by Hades a while after that."

"When I heard she was captured, my only thought was to rescue her. I . . . sacrificed Bessie and went into the Underworld. With some help, I made Hades vulnerable, but Demeter sacrificed herself to save me. Then Hades cursed me, and showed me you and Paul killed by people in ski masks. I couldn't handle any more, and I just . . . broke. I was out of my mind."

Percy took a deep breath, "I was kept in Artemis' tent for my own protection. All I could see was darkness and strange shapes and colors. Nothing made sense. Nothing was familiar. But then I saw a beautiful silver light, and I took refuge in it. Away from the horrors in my mind. She wasn't always there, but when she was, I was safe."

"Artemis eventually healed my broken mind with a Golden Apple, and I knew nothing I could do would ever repay her for everything she's done for me." Percy stared at the ground, "But now we're together. And that's something else I need your help with."

"Have you asked her out yet?" asked Sally.

"I had plans to see a movie with her, but I had to take a rain check on them." Percy sighed, "But that's not all. Back between when Hestia messed with my mind and Hades drove me over, I met a werewolf. Lyra."

Demeter's eyes darkened, "Artemis told me about her. A very lethal woman, and very manipulative."

"She reached out to me. She talked with me when no one else would, except to give me orders. I love her too. I can't tell Artemis about this. She'd never trust me again. But I can't tell Lyra that I can't be with her because I'm afraid she'll do something to Artemis." Percy looked up at them both, "And then there's a _empousa_ that says I'm her mate, and I'm attracted to her as well."

Demeter rubbed her forehead, "My, my, this _is_ quite a pickle. You must think of your own future as well. This _empousa_ , do you think she is the type who will stay with you, in sickness or in health, till death do you part?"

"I . . . don't know. Should I reject her now so I don't have to watch her die while I live?"

Sally threw her arms around his shoulders, "Do whatever would make you happy. I can't make this choice for you, but take your time. You're still too young to be thinking of spending the rest of your life with someone. I didn't meet Poseidon until I was years older than you, and I didn't marry Paul until much, much later."

Together, the three of them talked the day away, and Percy returned to his tent with his thoughts _mostly_ in order.

He had an eternity to make a decision, after all. But what he decided may not be something the other two would like . . . and none of them would like that he went behind their back to others.

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"Liliana, Perseus, I have a job for you." Artemis said, summoning them to her tent the next day, "A hunt, in fact."

Percy smiled -this as much as taking the oath made him an official member of the Hunt. Looking at her, could he really tell her that he loved two other woman? How would she take it?

"Your prey is the Nemean Lion." informed Artemis, breaking him out of his thoughts. "I came across it's tracks west of here, leading south. It's your job to track it down and kill it. Take whatever provisions and equipment you need and leave immediately. When you're done, take whatever transportation you want back to us."

Liliana nodded, "So I should show my little bro the ropes?"

"Yes."

As they left, Percy turned to the expert Hunter, "So, how does this work?"

"First, we need supplies." Liliana entered the armory, taking a double quiver of arrows and slinging it over her shoulder, "Take a quiver and a tent. I'll get the rest."

Percy nodded and took a quiver of arrows lengthed for his own bow, then looked in the box of tents for the suitable kind. Two beds, no decoration. Simple and utilitarian.

As he left, Liliana met up with him, "West. Let's go."

She led the way, ghosting through the forest like a shade. No leaves rustled as she went past, nor did branches sway.

Percy did his best to emulate her work, but wasn't quite as good. Even still, he nearly lost sight of the Hunter before she stopped, crouching.

"That's it, certainly." Liliana pointed to a massive set of paw tracks, "Or an over-sized zoo lion escaped."

"So, how does this work?"

"Simple. You follow the tracks. I'll be in the forest. If you get attacked by a big cat, I'll come in and rescue you." Liliana replied.

"I'm bait?"

"Yes. The tracks are a few days old at most -so we have some time to make up." the daughter of Poseidon ordered, then disappeared into the forest.

Percy sighed, crouching to look at the tracks. He could tell much the same as Liliana did -there was a rainfall a few days ago, so the tracks were left after that but before the sun firmed up the ground much.

The god started jogging, one eye on the tracks, one eye on the forest. The track twisted and turned, eventually leading to the bones of some animal with blood splattered about. Liliana was already, there, walking around, then took a bone and cracked it open, "Not more than three days. Keep going."

"How do you know?"

"The bones are dry, which means it's been more than a day at least. But the marrow inside is completely dried and starting to toughen, which means less four but more than two. Therefore, three."

Percy nodded and kept going, his mind whizzing. There was so much more to being a Hunter than shooting a bow and fighting with knives; This was where the true skills of the Hunt came to light.

They headed south-southwest, Liliana pointing out different signs of the Lion. They were making up ground, too -the Nemean Lion had found a few good feeding areas that slowed it down despite being usually faster than the two Hunters.

After all, that was the essence of tracking. Few creatures were slower than humans in the forest if running, but those creatures faster than humans were slowed down for other reasons -food chief among them.

When the prey wasn't caught by surprise and shot down quickly, that is.

"I always thought hunting was cooler." Percy called out.

Liliana appeared beside him like a ghost, "Only because you didn't know better."

"Yeah . . . so what's the strategy when we get to it?"

"First you use your bow for something useful. Then I get myself a new coat." smiled the Hunter savagely.

"I don't think I could hit it's mouth, though. I haven't practiced on moving targets that small yet."

"Artemis _did_ accept your oath, correct?"

"Yes?"

"Then you'll be fine." Liliana halted, "My lady's blessing gives you more than strength and endurance."

"So . . . why-"

"I have no idea. Stay behind me." the daughter of Poseidon pointed, "We're close."

Another set of tracks cross the first, and these were fresh. Very, very fresh.

Liliana stalked forwards, a small wooden rod in her hands. Percy's footsteps felt like thunderclaps against the silent forest.

The daughter of Poseidon didn't like the quiet either. There should be the squeaky and chirping challenges of dozens of animals as the Hunters invaded their territory.

But there were none.

There was another problem: The Nemean Lion was always attracted to city. Every time it was reborn, it terrorized a town until someone killed it. But they were nowhere near a city, so why would it-

The hairs on the back of her neck tingled, "Percy! Get down!"

Percy's eyes widened and he hit the deck, a massive golden shape going _just_ over him.

Liliana cursed, then stuck her hand out to the monster. A column of water shot from her body, slamming it back into the forest before it could turn on Perseus again.

The Hunters had become the hunted.

"Perseus! Back to back!" Liliana ordered, running over, "Keep your eyes on the forest. It's going to try to end this quickly -the Nemean Lion doesn't like forests."

Percy nodded, feeling his shoulder blades against Liliana's as he watched -bow in hand, an arrow already knocked.

But this time, it leapt out at the older Hunter.

Liliana crouched, the rod in her hand expanding it become a round buckler. Bracing against the ground, she uncoiled her body just as the lion's front paws came down . . . and were shoved aside as the shield continued upward and the monster downward.

The Hunter smiled, her shield banging off it's head with resounding _clash_.

The Nemean Lion stumbled back, then shook it off and charged forward. But the shield shifted into a polearm of Celestial Bronze -and the lion charged right into it.

The sharp point skated across it's nose, plunging deep into an eye socket as it continued forward, letting out a roar of pain. The shaft of the polearm was wrenched out of Liliana's hands, and the butt stuck her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

Percy jumped out of the way of it's frenzied charge, barely in time.

Liliana climbed to her feet.

"Are you alright?" Percy asked.

Liliana nodded, not opening her mouth. Running out of air now would condemn both her and her brother to death. Her polearm was too far away, and that left only her bow . . . and her hands.

The Nemean Lion turned with surprising agility, then shot forward again.

The daughter of Poseidon faced it head on. It would jump soon, and that was her opening.

The Hunter moved forward like a blur, her hands latching onto the lion's front legs. Her muscles, toughened cords hardened from millenia of exercise, latched onto it's sinewy legs and didn't let go as she was flipped over from the lion's weight and momentum.

It tried to get free, but in the meantime, Liliana held it.

The Nemean Lion roared it's frustration right in her face.

Percy froze, his arrow drawn back.

Could he hit that open mouth? If he missed, he'd be almost sure to hit Liliana.

He could drop the bow, draw Riptide, and push it away from the Hunter, and save her.

But next time, they might not be so lucky.

It came down to one question: What did he trust?

Artemis or himself?

The arrow loosed, and with lightning speed Percy had another four between the fingers of his hand, firing them one after another.

Black was hedging the edge of Liliana's vision, but she saw streaks of silver hit the lion's mouth, open from roaring. One, two, three, four . . . five.

It roared again, collapsing on her and driving the last breath of air from her body.

And darkness took her.

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Liliana woke to what tasted like honey getting poured in her mouth. Nectar.

She reached up, taking the bottle from her lips, "I'm okay. Mostly."

"You sure?" Percy asked, "You were unconscious."

"It knocked the wind out of me." she replied, "Take the pelt, you earned it. Besides, I already have one. Two, actually."

"I thought Artemis would get it." Percy stood and walked over to the dead monster.

"No. You made the kill, therefore you have the first right to the spoils. Artemis will be happy with it's death."

The son of Poseidon crouched, scooping it up in his arms and watching as it turned into a golden-brown duster.

He put it on, but something felt off. Something impure, something so wrong he shrugged it off and slung it over his shoulder.

"You don't want it?"

Percy started, "I don't need it now, do I?"

"You never know." Liliana took to her feet, brushing herself off, "Time to head back."

"Or . . . I could try something."

"No. I don't want to end up in China. We'll jog."

Percy sighed, " . . . fine."

"Now, have I ever told you why we hate men in the Hunt?"

"No. I kinda assumed it was a sensitive subject." Percy shrugged.

"It isn't. In the beginning, the original Hunt was allowed, Hunters were allowed to have relationships with men. But, when we took the oath for the first time, those who had significant others of the male gender still aged as any mortal would." Liliana took a deep breath, "And I didn't. I never found anyone I liked until recently. But that meant I had to watch some of my best friends die around me. Grow old and frail while I was still young."

"Why?"

"Because they weren't virgins anymore. The oath ties us to Artemis as her familiars; we borrow some of her aspects -expert skill with a bow, interacting with animals, but aging only halts if the one who took the oath was a virgin."

"So you don't like men-"

"-because they would eventually kill us. Isn't that great?" Liliana laughed hollowly, "Literally, to leave the Hunt you must love someone more than life itself. No one wants to watch a friend of theirs age, so they denounced men. And this is where we are now."

The Hunter halted, "I hate to tell you this, but I must anyways. You love Artemis, right?"

Percy stopped, shocked, "What?"

Liliana narrowed her eyes, looking into his, "You. Love. Artemis. Correct?"

"Y-yes. Yes." Percy stuttered, "Why?"

Liliana sighed, "Baccina has done a great deal of research about this. Should Artemis lose her domain of virginity, all of the Hunters will start aging. Quickly, and the longer they've lived the faster they will age."

Percy winced, "I wasn't going to go _that_ far with Artemis for a long time."

"But you wanted to eventually. Even if her son or daughter were to become a minor god of virginity, it would be too late for anyone who lived any longer than three-hundred years."

Liliana's eyes were burning as they looked into Percy's soul, "You _must_ not _ever_ sleep with Artemis. If you do, the Hunt will be destroyed."

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Days later, Percy sat in Artemis' tent, "I . . . need to tell you a few things."

Artemis, sitting across from him, cocked her head, "What is it?"

Percy's mouth opened and closed with no sound coming out.

"What?"

"It's . . . about the tent. The Prison Tent. I released them." Percy said -he couldn't muster up the courage to say the _other_ thing on his mind.

Artemis froze, "You _what_?"

"I let them out." Percy's voice faltered, becoming weaker, "I'm Himeros' host."

The goddess shook her head, "No, you aren't. I've checked you many times, and you haven't played host to one of those devils since you came back to me."

Artemis closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths, but when she opened them again her beautiful silver eyes were gone. In their place were two blazing orbs of silver fire, "You . . . . released our mortal enemies."

"Yes."

"Don't you know what they will do to the mortal world?" Her voice shook with anger, "Have you seen what they did, even when locked up? Girls dressed like _this_?"

Percy shook his head, "They said they tried to keep their influence in the world, but it didn't work like they planned it to."

"Of course not! They planned this all! And now they're loose again! Do you know how long it took me to track them down?"

Percy shrunk back, "Pretty long?"

"Centuries! And that was when the Hunt was at the height of it's strength, with thousands of members across the known world!"

"They told me-"

"They told you lies! They would say anything to get out of there! I knew one of my Hunt betrayed me, but I never thought it was you!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't think-"

"From what I've heard, you _never_ think! Just go! Get out!"

"I-"

"Out! Now!"

Percy almost _ran_ out of her tent, going all the way back to his own before collapsing on his bed.

The Nemean Lion's skin was there, and looking at it, he could hear something. Like the faintest echo of a _mooo_.

Percy jumped up, his breath hitching as he scrambled away. Images flashing in his eyes, of smoke filling his tent. Of a fire, right in the center there. Blood, washing over his hands. A dagger. Annabeth's dagger, used to kill the Ophiotaurus.

No, not the Ophiotaurus. Bessie. Bessie the cow-serpent.

Percy slumped, burying his face in his hands, "What have I done?"

* * *

 **A/N: Ha ha! This was all the backstory to a Percy/Harem fic! No, it isn't actually. But that gives me an excellent opportunity to force everyone together and watch the explosions happen.**

 **There's a poll on my profile page to determine the next story I'm writing -other than the Son of Leto, of course.**

 **Please review, follow, favorite, etc. My sister bet me that I couldn't get twenty review this chapter.**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Remember, poll on my profile. The Court is currently tied with The Hunt's Brother in the lead.**

 **Fairynatsudragneel2345: I never thought Zoe had _that_ big of an influence on him, so I think that killing an innocent (Bessie) would leave much more psychological damage.**

 **Alister Phyrexian Outcast: I already have a plan for them . . . I don't think you'll see it coming, either.**

 **Disclaimer: I further do not claim any rights to the Tokyo Ghoul reference I use.**

Chapter 24-

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Artemis sat in her tent, alone, and regretted everything she said. Perseus had always been too noble for his own good . . . besides, it was only a matter of time before any new Hunter discovered the tent. Even in prison, their charmspeak would be powerful.

But she couldn't take it back. She couldn't apologize to a servant, much less a male. Even if he was her . . . boyfriend? Lover?

Perseus would only be forgiven if _he_ came to _her_ again.

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"Baccina, I need your advice." Percy said, standing at the entrance of her tent.

Baccina leaned back from her computer, "What is it?"

"Is it true that everyone will start aging if I sleep with Artemis?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Baccina looked at him, calculating, then pushed away from her desk, "When the oath is taken, connections are formed between the Hunter and Artemis through similarities. For instance, in archery, melee combat, or wildlife. The greatest of these connections is through maidenhood. Thus, any of us can be disconnected in that way, but if _she_ loses her virginity . . . we all are affected."

"How many male Hunters have there been?"

"Less than a dozen, certainly. Over half had no interest in women." replied the daughter of Athena, "Why?"

"I was thinking . . . well, monster attacks have picked up since I became a god, and that's because I have a stronger scent _as_ a god." Percy paused, "Right?"

"Correct. Artemis' own powers and scent are bound by an agreement with the Fates, but your own are not. I expect you to make a similar agreement with them should you stay for much longer, but if you are going where I think you are with this, that will no longer be my problem."

"Is it a good idea?"

"It may be necessary. The Hunt is severely understrength as of now. However, Artemis will not allow the Hunt itself to be integrated. The best solution would be to canvas Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter for individuals that share your ideals, and connect with them that way. In that fashion, your own Hunt needn't be one gender exclusively." Baccina answered, "First, though, you need to procure supplies, create a training program and advertising, and other things."

"Any ideas for that?"

"The Amazons, of course. You have the money, and being a Hunter gives you a sizable discount as well as access to more exclusive items." said Baccina thoughtfully, "Ask Chiron to make an announcement during dinner at Camp Half-Blood. The same for Reyna or Frank at Camp Jupiter. Remember, you are asking them to give up a lot. Make sure the compensation you are offering makes up for it and more."

"Okay. I can do that. Anything else I should know?"

"Make the same agreements with the Fates that Artemis did. And tell Zeus what you plan to do." Baccina sighed, "Open your doors to everyone. Monsters, sons and daughters of Titans . . . You worked at Alex's McDonalds, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Ask him about a coffee shop called Anteiku. You may find allies there." Baccina's voice softened, "Keep a lookout for Zoë, will you? It will not be long before her scent grows strong, and demi-Titans have the worst luck."

"Okay." Percy stood and left.

This was the best way. Artemis hated his guts now, and he couldn't bear to be around it. More than that, monsters would stop being so attracted to the Hunt, and the Hunt itself wouldn't be endangered by his love.

Leaving it all behind would solve everything.

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"How could you say that?" Liliana growled at the daughter of Athena.

Baccina remained impassive, "I did what was best for the Hunt. With Perseus gone, we will not have a repeat of Pheobe's death. The Hunt is too small as it is; Sending one away is better than two or three of us dying."

"That _isn't_ how the Hunt works, Baccina! We protect our own! We _help_ our own!" shouted the daughter of Poseidon, "Have you learned _nothing_ from all your years here?"

"I have _always_ done what was best for as many of us as possible. When have I been wrong?" challenged the daughter of Niccolo Machiavelli.

"This time. You're wrong _right now_. You _know_ what happened last time Perseus disappeared. Do you have _any_ doubt at all that it won't happen again?"

"If it happens again, we will get her through it. It is better that Artemis is not romantic with any male. You know how reckless Artemis is. How long do you think it will take before she would let Perseus bed her?"

"We could figure it out!"

"You say that now." Baccina replied calmly, "This is the safest path to take."

"Fine. If you won't stop him, I'll tell Artemis. You can bet your quiver _she_ will."

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Percy stood, his shrunken tent in his pocket. The sapling Hesperides tree was nestled in the crook of his arm, and other possessions he wanted to keep on hand were either in a backpack or his pockets.

He wanted to just slip away into the darkness, but the group of people waiting for him on the way out told him it wasn't going to be that simple.

Thalia was first, "Kelp Head, I know we've had our differences, but you shouldn't leave. How'll you keep yourself out of trouble if I'm not around? Remember that party on Olympus when Grover almost drowned in coffee?"

Percy almost cracked a smile. Almost. But he knew this was the only way out.

The daughter of Zeus hugged him, "I'll miss you, Percy."

The former demigod sighed, "I'll miss you too, Lighting Girl."

Veronica came after Thalia, stepping forward and putting a hand on his shoulder, "Duty. Honor. Justice. Do you think you will be fulfilling any of those if you leave us? Duty is worthless when you are alone in the world. Honor cannot be sought from yourself. Justice will never be the decision of one. Without any of those, Perseus, who are you? Why would you leave it all behind?"

"Because I have to." Percy murmured just loud enough for her to hear.

"Fine. Don't regret it."

Resuza hugged him before speaking into his shoulder, very, very quietly, "She's waiting for you. Ir'll be soon."

Percy pulled the young Hunter closer, "Thank you."

They stayed like that for close to a minute before Percy pulled away. That left Liliana.

"What can I say to stop you?" asked the elder master Hunter.

Percy shook his head, "Nothing. Baccina is right. This is the best I can do."

"Hmph." Lilana scowled, "Come back some day. Our doors are open to you if you need help."

"I can't. You know I can't come back here." Percy's gaze dropped, "There's too much at stake."

"I'll find another answer." Liliana wrapped him in a quick hug, then stepped away.

Now that the path was clear, Percy stepped forward . . . and Artemis appeared from behind a tree, where she was invisible a scant minute before.

Her knives were already in her hands, "You are my Servant and my Hunter. If you are going to defy _my_ will, you will have to fight for it."

Percy's eyes narrowed. She was hurting, and he could see that. His betrayal of the goddess . . . and so many secrets she didn't even know about. He couldn't drive that dagger deeper.

"Please. Just let me go. I won't have to betray you again." Percy pleaded.

Artemis' gaze was hard, "No. You will not leave."

"Fine." The backpack fell from his back, and in his hands were two silver hunting knives.

They locked eyes, their resolve to win like two stags locking horns.

Artemis was the first to move, lunging forward. Percy reacted, bringing his own weapons up in time. Their blades locked together, two pairs of identical silver knives intent of killing each other.

They were both gods, but Percy's strength was a fraction greater. Muscles pulsing, Percy drove the smaller goddess back a step at a time. To unlock their blades would open her to a counter-attack. To keep them locked would inevitably lead to her defeat.

Artemis tensed, crouching slightly before springing up. In the midst of a flip, her foot snaked out, but Percy moved aside slightly and lunged forward.

Lyra had warned him about Artemis and taught him an array of moves specifically designed against the goddess. Now was the time to test them.

His right blade caught the goddess deep in the thigh in the middle of the flip, making her landing clumsy and off balance.

Percy pressed her back, not letting Artemis regain her footing as his powerful, fast strikes were barely blocked by the goddess' flashing knives.

Artemis scowled, healing her leg and lashing out with a heavy-booted foot right into Percy's kneecap.

Percy grunted and stepped back, healing his own injury before going forward again. Cut opened on both of them as they clashed, then closed as they healed themselves.

Slowly but surely, their godly strength was worn down further and further before Artemis changed the game.

She caught Percy's next strike on the pommel of her knife, then twirled it and slammed the blade right through the god's wrist.

Percy howled in pain and stumbled back, pulling the knife out with his other hand and dropping it while he healed the severed tendons.

That was the same move Annabeth used on Luke.

Percy growled, shaking the image out of his head as he stood there, weaponless.

Artemis stalked forward, "Give up."

"No. Live by the sword," Percy clawed Riptide out of his pocket, "die by the sword!"

He leapt forward again, the blade growing in his hand as he went on the offensive, forcing the goddess back with powerful, two-handed blows.

One of them finally hit her right knife near the hilt, and Percy's unbreakable sword cleaved through the silver dagger.

Artemis jumped back, and a new one formed from moonlight in her hand.

That didn't stop Percy. Not in the least.

He kept going forward, his movements instinctual after being pounded into his muscles from years of practice.

Percy had the goddess outclassed in height, strength, and weaponry, and he leveraging his advantage in all three to keep his opponent on the defensive.

Finally, Artemis needed to start cheating -it was either that or loss. Percy's next strike sailed through empty space as the goddess was a bird that flapped it wings once and went for the eyes.

Percy jumped forward, almost smashing Artemis against a tree before she flew away, turning into a brown bear. It's claws raked through the air where Percy just was, the former demigod having jumped back.

"I thought we'd be fighting the old-fashioned way. Are you scared, Arty?" he taunted, with a clear gesture of _bring it on_.

The bear growled and rushed forward, but as it did Riptide lengthened in his hands to become a long halberd that's point embedded in the grizzly's shoulder.

Artemis roared, rearing up on her hind legs while Percy ripped it out and opened a gaping wound in her stomach.

Those wounds closed over as she went back to human, hopefully for keeps this time. She let her shoulders slump slightly, and held her knives in a looser grip.

Percy fell for it, the halberd collapsing back into Riptide as he lunged.

Artemis smiled, knocking sword away as her right hand grew long claws that plunged into Percy's shoulder, going all the way through before ripping out brutally, chunks of muscle coming with her.

The demigod-turned-god jumped back, pressing a hand to the wound as it slowly knit over.

He was getting weaker. He could only hope Artemis was as well.

No doubt Himeros would have some advice for him.

But if Percy used the Ophiotaurus, he risked killing Artemis. And that he couldn't do.

So he returned to what he did best: Hacking and slashing.

Golden blood covered his blade and stained his clothes. Artemis didn't look much better, but neither would give up while they were both standing.

Artemis attacked, opening a pair of wounds on either side of his neck while Percy slugged her on the point of the jaw, knocking her back while Percy stumbled away himself, feeling his clothes grow wet with his blood.

The goddess didn't give him a second to recover, taking the offensive herself to slam her knives into Percy's guard

The Hunt stood back and watched. None of them wanted to get into a clash between two gods.

With a resounding _clash_ , Riptide went spinning off into the forest while Artemis' own knife shattered, her other knife embedding itself into his side.

Percy scowled, healing the wound as much as he could while his hand went to his belt for the last weapon he had. The dagger.

Artemis stuck her hands out, the moonlight of her form shimmering as the brief outline of a knife formed before dissipating. She had nothing left but the knife in her left hand. It wouldn't do her much good there.

They circled each other, Percy's half-healed wound trickling blood while Artemis was visibly exhausted her left hand dropped to her side while her right hand held the knife.

The both looked bad. But Artemis looked worse.

Percy staggered forward, his dagger coming down for an overhead slash that Artemis leaned away from, but it curved around again to slice at her waist, drawing blood.

Artemis' own knife was knocked away, but came back with a vengeance to cut Percy at the elbow.

Now they were playing for keeps, neither with the energy to heal themselves any more.

Percy's left hand drove a hard fist into Artemis' gut, hitting hardened muscle.

They both jerked back, and now willpower was the only thing keeping them upright. Willpower and enough strength for one, desperate attack.

Percy lunged. Artemis did the same.

Her knife embedded itself just above his heart.

His dagger entered her just below her throat.

Artemis collapsed.

Percy stayed upright, swaying as darkness creeped around the edges of his vision.

And he walked away, dragging his backpack behind him with the Hesperides Tree tied to it's back.

The Hunt rushed to their Lady, bringing her back to the Medical Tent.

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Percy could only put one foot in front of another, the dagger in him cutting a bit more with every step. He didn't dare remove it -it was the only thing plugging the wound.

He could see golden blood splatter the ground below him as he coughed.

He had to get away from here. Far, far away. Run away from his problems.

He could confront them another time.

Not now.

The Hunt would have no trouble following this trail of blood.

But they wouldn't.

Twigs cracked beneath his feet, and birds called.

He could feel unconsciousness calling out to him.

A sweet, numbing darkness just waiting.

He had hope now, though.

Hope in the form of a tall shape.

A beautiful face.

Warm hands taking his chin.

Something golden . . .

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"Perseus? Perseus!" Lyra's voice cracked through his mind.

He shot upright from the forest floor.

There was a trail of blood behind him, and in front of him the werewolf was slowly standing.

"You were out for a second there." said Lyra, "Eat this as we walk."

She pressed an apple into his hands. A Golden Apple.

Percy nodded, taking a bite and closing his eyes as he felt warmth flow through him, easing the aches and pains of the battle that just occurred.

"Who did that?" Lyra asked, gesturing to . . . well, gesturing to the blood that covered him almost entirely.

"Artemis. She . . . she didn't take kindly to me walking away." Percy rolled his shoulders, feeling the bones crack, "I thought I'd die here."

"I trained you too well for that. You won, I take it?"

"Barely. We were both exhausted, but she went under first." Percy took another crunch of the apple.

"Was she unconscious when you left?"

"Yeah. I think so, at least." he confirmed.

Lyra smiled -the most sinister, evil smile Percy had ever seen, "Perseus, you may have just won us everything. You can drop the charade of loving the goddess, too. No one is following us."

"Right . . . yes." Percy felt an iron ball in his stomach. It wasn't something that he could drop . . . was it? It couldn't be . . .

"No matter how much nectar they pump into her, she shouldn't be on her feet for at least a week. And she won't be back at full strength for a few months." Lyra stopped, "This is the perfect time to strike."

Lyra pointed, and Percy could see through the trees was a collection of tents. These were forest green and perfectly camouflaged -if Lyra hadn't pointed them out, Percy never would have seen them.

"Is that the Pack's camp?"

"Correct." Lyra turned to him, "From now on, you were and are my secret agent in the Hunt. You became a Hunter on my orders, and seduced Artemis on my orders. You and Resuza have been collecting information on the Hunt this whole time."

Percy nodded, finishing off the Golden Apple.

"You smell different . . ." Lyra closed her eyes and concentrated, taking in the scent, " _Empousa_?"

"Yeah. I was bitten almost a year and a half ago."

"That's certainly convenient." Lyra started walking again, "Have you bitten anyone yet?"

"No."

"You should. You _are_ an _empousa_ now. You need to act like one." instructed the werewolf, "More than that, you'll likely have to participate in at least one meal here. Unlike Hunters, our systems are adapted to red meat."

"Anything else?"

"Be strong. This isn't the Hunt. Don't be afraid to spill blood. Don't be afraid to take what you want. Hold on to everything you take. Don't let anyone take it back. I'll give you more cues if you need them."

A scant minute later, a woman stepped out from behind a tree, directly in Percy's path, "Who're you?"

"He's mine, and that's all you need to know." Lyra said, her voice hard a cruel. So different than what Percy was used to.

The woman, heavily armed and armored, bowed her head in submission and stepped aside. Her eyes tracked the god as he passed, and she smelled the Hunt on him. So this was Lyra's unknown agent.

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"So this . . . is your man." Lycaon growled. There were six of them in a large tent: Lyra, Lycaon, three betas, and Perseus.

"Yes. He has been most invaluable in laying the groundwork of our attack."

Lycaon snorted, "He smells like that weakling Artemis."

"Her blood covers me, after all." Percy said back, his voice low and hard, "She bled over me not an hour before."

"Hah! You have spirit, boy, and skill if you speak the truth." Lycaon said, "Come, sit! We will see eye-to-eye after this meeting, I'm sure."

Percy did as he ordered, detaching himself from what he was about to do. There was something about his voice . . . about Lyra's voice, too.

One of the betas, a powerful man dressed in stitched furs, spoke, "You must be quite a warrior."

He reached across, grabbing Percy's arm. In that moment, something else invaded Percy's mind.

 _Long time no see, Perseus._ Himeros said, his cool voice now much, much stronger.

 _Himeros?_

 _Yes. Remember? Fearing for me, you gave me to Resuza to transfer to Lyra. You can't have forgotten._ His voice was so warm and friendly . . so trustworthy . . . so powerful, _How have you been?_

 _I've been . . . I've been well._

 _No, you haven't. You've been terrible, haven't you? Hasn't the Hunt been horrible to you? Hurting you whenever they could?_ Himeros said, his voice almost hypnotizing as he charmspoke the demigod, _Working you like a beast of burden. Almost as bad as Hades. In fact, Artemis even made you summon Hades' spirit, didn't she? That goddess is a particularly sadistic one, isn't she? I would know._

 _Yes . . . she did._

 _You hate her now, don't you? Don't you wish that she died while you fought her? That you used the blessing of the Ophiotaurus to end her?_

 _I want to kill her._

 _Good, good._ Himeros smiled, _why don't you say that out loud?_

Percy stood, "I want to kill Artemis."

Lycaon smiled, "Good. You have a plan to, do you not?"

"Oh, he does." Lyra seconded.

"Yes." Percy waved a hand, summoning a piece of paper with the layout of the Hunt's camp on it, "Artemis should be here after I took her down. And the rest of the Hunt should be close by, waiting for news."

He pointed at the medical tent, "I shoot whoever they left on guard, then we surround the tent and light it up. When they come out, we capture them and show them what the Pack does to weaklings."

None of the assembled werewolves looked even remotely surprised. After all, each of them hosted one of the Erotes.

But Himeros frowned. This god should be calling for the deaths of the entire Hunt! How could he resist the charmspeak of three of them combined?

 _No, Perseus, don't you wish to exterminate the Hunt? Watch them bleed on the ground as you cut them down?_ Himeros said, putting all his effort into his charmspeak.

 _No. I want to see how Artemis feels when_ she's _chained up in_ my _tent. I want to put her through everything she put on me. All of them. I want all of them to know that, when this hell is over for them, there's another hell waiting just below. That I can give them the worst punishments in the Field._ Percy snarled.

 _And a very noble pursuit that is. But isn't it safer and faster to kill them outright and sentence them to the Fields afterwards? s_ uggested the spirit, _Perhaps keep them in your fortress as your eternal servants, bound to your wishes?_

 _No. I have a much, much better way of keeping them under my control._ Perseus said, _Your host must have seen Aphrodite's harem at least once._

 _We used to_ be _Aphrodite's harem. You are more devious than I thought, son of the sea._ Himeros acknowledged, _I believe I can manage something like that._

"We strike now!" Lycaon announced, "Gather the men! By tomorrow, the Hunt will be captured or killed!"

As the betas rushed outside to follow his orders, Lyra pulled him aside.

"Are you ready to kill them?" Lyra asked, charmspeak again in her voice.

"We're capturing them, right?" Percy asked.

Lyra frowned, putting more of her energy into the charmspeak, "No. They will die."

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Lycaon took a deep breath, drawing air through his nose. It was just as Percy said: No Hunter was outside the camp itself. That made it so much easier.

Behind him, the entire Pack and Perseus was arrayed in an arrowhead, and all of them were jogging along. Most of them, Perseus included, had heavy armor on. Celestial Bronze and Stygian Iron plate to counter the Hunter's fast but weaker attacks.

That's when they met their first challenge: wolves. They were out there, guarding while the Hunters could not.

Percy unslung his bow, nocking an arrow while several werewolves dropped to one knee, aiming down their crossbows.

Arrows through their hearts, they fell. Other shrank back, yipping frantically without a Hunter to command them.

They died as well as Perseus sent a flight of arrows after them, shooting them all before the werewolves could even reload their crossbows. They continued in further, until the camp itself loomed in front of them.

There was someone standing guard in the center, of course, but Perseus smiled as a familiar face greeted him.

Resuza waved to them casually, walking over to Lyra.

"The last I heard they were still trying to bring Artemis back form the brink. You really pulled a number on her, Perseus."

Before they went any further, Lyra pulled a bag from her waist and opened it, passing out halves of Golden Apples.

"If you find someone you can't beat, take a bite." she ordered.

"Surround the tent." Lycaon ordered, "Bring out the Greek Fire."

Lyra, Lycaon, and Perseus all stood at the entrance of the tent, to engage the first ones that came out. They would be the most powerful.

Liliana sprinted out, knives in hand, and Lyra moved to intercept the daughter of Poseidon, "You and I have a score to settle."

The demigoddess turned, recognizing "Perseus! Why?"

"You ask me _why_? After everything you did?" Percy growled, as Scathach came out next, almost running into Lycaon.

Perseus turned, Riptide elongating in his hands as he faced the tent's entrance.

Roz came out of the entrance, took in the situation, and sprinted at Perseus.

The demigod-turned-god grinned savagely as he stood firm, outfitted in heavy plate armor Lycaon supplied.

To a god, it was as light as a feather.

Percy swung first, counting on Riptide's length to keep the fast Hunter away.

Roz, with blinding speed, dodged the blade and went inward, stabbing for his neck. Percy backed away, swinging again, again and again!

Miss, miss, and miss.

This wasn't good.

Roz's strikes bounced off his heavy armor, failing to penetrate. But it was only a matter of time before one of them landed in a unarmored joint.

Percy scowled, dropping Riptide to reach out and catch Roz's wrist on her next attack. She moved out of the way, but Percy crouched and jumped forward, catching her chest with his plated shoulder and sending the Hunter to the ground.

Nearly crushing her with the weight of the armor.

Roz struggled, pushing against his shoulders, but Percy had her ankles in a tight grip, and with Himeros adding his strength to the assault, snapped her shins like twigs.

Roz cried out in pain, but no one came to her aid.

Climbing to his feet again, Percy raised his foot . . . and stomped down, heavy metal boots combined with his godly strength cracking her skull and driving it into the soft ground.

Percy spat on her, then spun and delivered a kick to the side of her jaw, strong enough that her head kinked to a funny angle.

Lycaon fell to the ground with a _clang_ as Scathach delivered a final blow to his helmet with Celestial Bronze spiked brass knuckles.

Percy sprinted forward, swinging down at her back, only to be blocked.

Scathach spun, driving her heel into the chestplate of Percy's armor, denting it and sending him back a few steps.

Percy straightened, unslinging his bow and snapping an arrow at the Hunter.

Scathach snatched it from the air, breaking it in half before deflecting another, and a third after that as Percy moved closer, keeping her from advancing with a steady rain of projectiles.

Then Percy dropped the bow and swung a punch.

Scathach caught it with her open palm and tried to push it away to open up Percy's guard.

Percy smirked, pressing harder. He was the stronger one here, and Scathach realized it.

Speed would her greatest asset here.

She abandoned the punch and crouched, slamming a kick into his leg to hopefully drop him.

Percy merely grimaced, healing himself and sending his other foot into Scathach's stomach.

The martial artist gasped, moving back in surprise.

She didn't get very far before Percy was on her again, driving all the air out of her with an elbow to the stomach, then punching her in the nose.

Blinded by reflex tears, Scathach couldn't defend herself as Percy swept her legs out from under her and stomped on her stomach, breaking her ribs and driving their shattered splinters into her heart.

The battle was winding down all around him, the last few Hunters being killed.

A beta fed Lycaon a piece of an Apple, getting him back on his feet.

Percy walked around, slowly becoming uneasy as he counted the faces.

The four newest Hunters were the first killed, then there was Scathach, Roz, Naomi, Celyn, Veronica, Huiliang, Thalia -that one hurt, surprisingly. Liliana was neatly dispatched by Lyra.

That left Baccina, Panacea, and Artemis.

The Pack assembled together outside the blazing Medical Tent, then all the flames were suddenly as Baccina stepped out.

She seemed unfazed by the bodies of her comrades, and Lycaon's eyes widened as he breathed in the scent.

"Cover your eyes!" he shouted.

Baccina laughed, and as she did, her voice changed. Deepening slightly, and becoming more powerful, it became a voice belonging to another. Her mother.

"No, I will defeat you will skill at arms." Baccina said as her hair shimmered slightly, becoming a different shade of blond while her eyes became stormy gray instead of the black they were before.

As she walked, her outfit turned into armor, a spear appeared in her hand, and Aegis expanded from a watch she wore.

Percy jerked away, seized by an irrational fear that sent him scurrying from that horrible shield. All around him, the werewolves were doing the same. All except Lyra, who's face clouded for a second before clearing into savage determination but backing up all the same.

 _It seems you need my help again._ Himeros said, almost bored-sounding, _You need to counter that to have a prayer of winning. Summon your helm._

 _How?_ Percy asked.

 _Just will it to be on your head. It_ is _your symbol of power, after all. Focus on subduing her first, then kill her with the Ophitaurus' blessing after._

Percy stopped, closing his eyes and following Himeros' instructions. _Will it to be there . . ._

His helmet disappeared, and he felt the cold kiss of Stygian Iron against his hair.

Athena's eyes widened in fear, and she halted.

Percy faced her, smiling, "Is that all you've got?"

The demigod-turned-god could feel Aegis' influence held at bay by the original instrument of magically fear.

Even Pan's powers were never as potent as the Helm of Darkness.

Percy stalked forward, and Athena stepped back.

Then she tore her eyes away from the helm, and her resolve hardened.

"Do you think you can beat me, the Goddess of Warfare?" Athena challenged.

"I defeated my first God of War when I was twelve." Percy replied, holding Riptide at the ready.

 _Do you think you can fight her with just a sword and armor?_ Himeros asked incredulously, _Let me help._

 _Fine._

 _I'll guide your actions. Just go with it. o_ rdered the spirit.

Percy's left hand dropped away from Riptide's hilt, and a shield of Stygian Iron with a wicked spike appeared on his left arm.

Athena shifted positions, presenting Aegis first with her spear held behind her.

Percy raised his shield, sending a bolt of darkness from the spike.

Athena raised her shield a little higher, deflecting it into the trees.

The God of the Dead made the first move, lunging forward to stab the goddess, but she countered before the blow landed.

With a resounding clash, Athena's spear was deflected off of Percy's shield.

Then Lyra came in from the side, uncaring of either aura of fear generated by the two duelling gods, and brought her sword down.

Athena barely moved away in time, blocking the edge on her own armor.

Lyra scowled as she ducked under Athena's spear, "Himeros! Three foot diameter, round!"

That was nonsense to Perseus, but he wasn't exactly controlling his own actions at this point.

It meant a great deal to Himeros, though, who summoned a shield that fit Lyra's description to her arm.

Lyra and Perseus tag-teamed Athena, forcing her back and keeping the goddess on the defensive.

That alone was no mean feat; The goddess was keeping two master swordsman at bay, and though she wasn't attacking, neither could their strikes hurt her.

Athena waited, letting them attack until she could find an opening.

She was very patient, after all, and she only had to wait.

Then she saw it: a little drop in the werewolf's defense, just enough for the goddess to launch a strike that slipped past her shield . . . and went straight through her stomach.

But as Athena tried to yank her spear back, Lyra's hand gripped it, and the werewolf was smiling, "Perseus! Now!"

Percy kicked the goddess' shield away, then plunged Riptide through her heart.

Athena stumbled back, trying to get the sword out, but Percy was on her before she could.

Percy slammed heavy, gauntleted punch after heavy, gauntleted punch into the weakened goddess, sending her off into the world of unconsciousness.

By the time he turned again, Lyra was coughing up blood, "Hit . . a lung. Get it . . . out."

Percy put a foot on her chest, and grabbed Athena's spear and ripped it out.

Lyra's eyes rolled back into her head as Percy reached into her pocket and jammed half of a Golden Apple in her mouth, forcing her to chew and swallow.

The wound on her chest disappeared instantly, and Lyra sat up, "Good job."

Percy sighed, hugging the werewolf, "Don't do that again. Ever."

Lyra rolled her eyes, "We're both alive. Take a bite, you're exhausted."

Percy nodded in acknowledgement, eating his own half as the werewolves came out of their hiding places in the forest.

"She's not dead yet. I'll finish her off when I'm done with the rest of the Hunters." Percy said, "By my count, there should be one other and Artemis inside the tent."

"Do you want to deal with her yourself?"

"Yes." Percy said, putting all the hate he could muster into that word, "I'll kill her."

 _Interesting. The Golden Apples are quite powerful. They both heal your wounds and restore your energy completely._ Himeros mused, _I wonder if nectar and ambrosia were created to replicate their effects?_

 _Can you concentrate on this?_

 _For an unconscious goddess and a Hunter who's spent more time healing than fighting? You'll do fine._ Himeros said, _Ready to make Artemis a mortal?_

Percy pushed the tent flap aside, stepping in before spinning to the left as a blur of silver attacked him.

 _It's Artemis! How is she awake?_

Himeros scowled, _The Hunter . . . she must've killed herself healing Artemis. Still, it shouldn't be a challenge. The goddess should now be bleeding red._

 _Good_.

Percy counter-attacked, pushing Artemis back easily, his massive strength crushing the weak goddess until she could block no more.

The Helm pulsed on his head, and Artemis shuddered in fear.

The son of Poseidon, at last, had his chief tormentor in reach.

But he would have plenty of time to play with her in the Underworld.

In the mean time, his sword flew in a shallow arc, and with a soft _schlk,_ Artemis' head separated from her body.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, how am I getting him out of this one?**

 **I'll give you a hint: The mummy Oracle.**

 **Please follow, favorite & review! The feedback is very helpful.**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Do you know why I do unexpected things? So that when I do the expected thing, it isn't expected anymore. I think. Anyways, welcome to the chapter of expected and unexpected results.**

Chapter 25-

* * *

 _and with a soft schlk, Artemis' head separated from her body._

Percy smiled, then stabbed Riptide through her skull and held it high as he walked outside.

The werewolves cheered, and Percy flicked it high in the air as he walked over to Athena.

She was healing herself, a little at a time, as Perseus approached.

"Why would you do this, Perseus?"

He scowled, "You tortured me! For half the day, I did the chores none of you wanted to. Then, at night, you'd force me to summon Hades!"

Athena's mind whirled -this wasn't true. She was with the Hunt, masquerading as her daughter, for the entire time Perseus was there. Nothing like _that_ ever happened.

Which left a single possibility: Charmspeak.

Charmspeak was inherently fragile in that it created impulses without emotion or memory backing them up. He may think he remembers this, but if pressed, Perseus wouldn't be able to come up with any solid memories of this torture.

And that was a weakness Athena intended to exploit.

"How did I torture you, Perseus? When did I, Baccina Machiavelli, torture you? Tell me!" Athena ordered, millenia of commanding armies giving her a tone of command that even Perseus couldn't deny.

"You-you hurt me!"

"Hurt is no different from torture." Athena slowly rose, using her shield to keep everyone back. Everyone but Lyra, who stalked forward, "The Hunt never harmed you! Search your memories, Perseus, you know it to be true!"

Percy's face was a mix between denial and realization. Athena focused, capitalizing on this, "Do you see what Artemis meant? The Erotes are using you!"

"Perseus! She's just trying to confuse you." Lyra said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He turned, his cheeks wet with tears but his eyes hard. The Helm of Darkness flared up, overcoming even Lyra's impressive mental power and sending her running in fear, "No!"

 _Don't listen to the goddess, Perseus._ Himeros said, _You know where your friends are_.

 _I did._ Percy replied, his voice hurt and broken, _Now they're dead. I wonder what would happen if I made_ you _vulnerable to my strikes, spirit?_

Himeros gasped, _No! Perseus, don't do this!_

But Percy just scowled and focused, expending his mass of stamina to make Himeros, the godly consort of Aphrodite, a mere mortal.

Athena was the one smiling now, reaching up, "Let me help you drive him from your mind."

"No!" Percy snapped, drawing Annabeth's dagger and plunging it into Athena while his excess of power -granted to him by Himeros and the Golden Apple he consumed just minutes earlier- brought the Olympian to her knees, red blood spilling out.

His eyes widened as Himeros laughed.

He focused -if the Erotes were spirits of feeling, how would they deal with a little pain?

Percy summoned up his most painful memories -inevitably returning to Annabeth and his mother.

Himeros howled in agony, the horrible sound rebounding off of the inside of Percy's skull.

The son of the sea gripped Annabeth's dagger, wrenching it out of her mother's body and looking at the words he carved in it himself as they dripped with blood.

 _Death-Marked Love_

 _Death Marked Love, Himeros! My love is dead!_ Percy shouted, and with a final roar, the voice in his head went silent.

Percy stumbled and fell on top of Lyra, reaching into her bag of Apples and taking one, biting into it and feeling the strength flow back into his body.

He needed to finish this battle.

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The son of the sea, immersed in a cold rage, approached Lycaon, "Who is inside you? Eros himself?"

Percy knelt down, careful not to touch bare skin as he handcuffed the werewolf god. Lyra was behind him, already cuffed, and he did the same for the rest of the wolves as they cowered in fear.

He messed up so badly.

But he could still make it right.

Slowly numbing himself to the sight, Perseus gathered the bodies of all of the Hunters and Athena together.

If he was the God of the Dead, he could damn well bring them back.

No matter what it cost him.

"Thanatos."

"My lord." Death appeared, "What are your orders?"

"Bring the souls of these ones to me. Here. I will bring them back to life."

Thanatos stiffened, "That is against the Ancient Laws, milord. Even you cannot-"

"Do it."

He bowed, "As you wish."

Percy sighed, healing the wounds of the Hunters until they were physically fine, but dead nonetheless

Moments later, Thanatos returned, "They are here. And they are not happy with you."

"I know." Percy concentrated, "But as Artemis said . . . to use any and all of your power . . . you need to focus . . . and have the image of the end result in mind."

The God of the Dead closed his eyes, seeing all of the memories he had with the Hunt flashing through his mind. Pranking Thalia. Training with the four newbies. Asking Baccina for advice. Brawling Scathach and Roz.

Kissing Artemis.

One by one, the Hunters gasped, sitting up, but when Percy opened his eyes the world was gone.

And standing in front of him were three old ladies with knitting needles.

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"You have broke the Ancient Laws." a voice reverberated through this pseudo-reality Percy found himself it. It didn't come from the Fates, but the whole place seemed to emanate it. It was all gray, and the ground melded seamlessly with the sky in the distance.

"Yes, I did." Percy replied. Riptide was gone, along with Annabeth's dagger and his bow. He was weaponless, though the Helm of Darkness still rested on his head.

The voice withdrew for a minute, as if puzzled, but returned quickly, "Your fate is sealed. One cannot break the Ancient Laws freely."

"I don't care." Percy replied, "As Baccina would say, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

"Then you accept death?" the voice asked.

"Not yet. I have nothing to live for anymore; Everyone I love either hates me now or is dead. There is only one thing left for me to do." answered the son of the sea.

"And what is it?"

"I need to see Artemis and her Hunters safe and sound, so that I can die knowing that they live."

"Interesting. We will be so kind as to grant you that." the voice said, and an image appeared of Artemis and her Hunters gathering up the werewolves, "Are you satisfied?"

Percy nodded, tears leaking from his eyes, "Yes. But this reminds me of a conversation I had with Lyra once . . . she pointed out that while you snipped Luke's string, he died years later. That his string continued on past his death, in fact. She also showed me that defeating an unarmed man with clubs is not exactly difficult, either."

"And?"

"And so I'm wondering if the Fates have any power at all. I've done something terrible, and deserve to die for it . . . but first, I'm going to kill the ones who forced me to do it." Percy stalked towards the Fates, "If you weaved my fate, then you'll die."

The three old ladies hurriedly pulled out a long thread of sea-green and black yarn, "Stop! Or we will snip your thread!"

"Not if I cut it first." Percy promised, holding out his right hand. Riptide didn't come with him to this odd place . . . but if he could summon the Helm of Darkness, he could certainly summon Hades' other symbol of power, "Sounding desperate now? Why, if you control my every action?"

In his hand, a black and silver sword flashed into existence, and he swung it down to cleave his own string neatly in two.

"I'm not dead yet. In fact, if that string had any connection to me at all, I would be stuck in the Underworld." Percy came closer.

The Fates stood, clubs appearing in their hands, but Percy was faster.

One old ladies' head was rolling on the ground before the other two even realized what was happening.

The second swung for his head, backed with all the strength of a godly grandma.

Percy caught it in his left hand, and tugged her into the path of the third Fates' swing. With a sickening crack, she fell to the floor.

The last Fate backed up warily, but an old-lady simply can't outrun a young male in his prime.

With a bloody _schlk,_ she fell to the ground.

Then this pseudo-world disappeared, and Percy heaved a sigh of relief.

Lyra, or at least the Eros inside, was a manipulative, cunning bastard.

But she didn't lie.

That's when something cold and hard hit his skull, and blissful unconsciousness welcomed him once more.

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"Artemis!" Thalia called, "He's awake!"

Percy groaned, trying to get up before realizing he couldn't. A thick silver band wrapped around his chest, and a set of silver handcuffs adorned his wrists, binding his powers.

A familiar face soon stood over him. It was Artemis, and she was unreadable, "So he is."

Percy started sweating nervously -this wasn't good.

"So." said the goddess.

Percy tried a smiled, "So."

"So."

"So-so?"

"What. In Hades. Happened!?" Artemis growled.

"Well, after I left, Lyra ambushed me and charmspoke me into coming back to the Hunt's camp. Then Lycaon and the rest of his council did the same, along with Himeros." Percy sighed, tears starting to leak from his eyes, "They made me think you all tortured me like Hades did. I really wanted to kill you all."

"And you did. Why did you stop?" asked the goddess.

"Athena talked some sense into me. I realized I never remembered any of you doing anything of the kind, but while I was fighting the charmspeak, I killed Athena as well. Then I turned on the werewolves and chained them all up. But you were all dead, and there was only one thing I could do."

Artemis' eyes narrowed, "You broke the Ancient Laws."

The son of the sea nodded slowly, "I broke the Ancient Laws and brought you all back."

"And the Fates haven't come after you for it?"

"No." Percy replied, hoping to keep a straight face, "They haven't, yet."

Artemis sighed, "Normally, I wouldn't hesitate to throw you in prison. But, because you were charmspeaked, I shouldn't. There still has to be some punishment, though."

"I expected as much." Percy said calmly, ready to face it, whatever it might be.

"There is a problem that I have. The werewolves are still chained up, but I wouldn't put it past one of them to reach out and force one of the Erotes upon one of my Hunters." Artemis stated, "So, you will summon skeletons to move the prisoners into their old cells."

"Because my skeletons can't be taken by the Erotes?" Percy asked, "Wow. This is a lot easier than I was expecting."

"Then get started." Artemis snapped her fingers, and the silver the bound him disappeared.

Percy stood, stretching and groaning.

Thalia came over and hugged him, "I'm glad you're still with us."

The son of the sea sighed, "Yeah. I'm really tired of going crazy. I can't do that again, not with the responsibility I have now."

"Hey, you're finally growing up!" Thalia commented cheerfully.

"Yeah . . . I guess I am." Percy shrugged shyly, then walked out of the tent and back to his own. As he thought, all of his things were there.

Next stop was the Armory, where he took out the Prison tent and expanded it in the center of the clearing.

Skeletons, dozens of them, started crawling out of the ground around him, but the god dismissed most of them.

The werewolves were bound there as well -the Hunt was keeping guard over them cautiously, careful not to touch any of them.

Two skeletons per werewolf grabbed the prisoners and brought them out, then Percy opened the tent flap . . .

A skeletal fist immediately flew at him, and Percy fell back in shock. As he did, the control of his own skeletons were wrested away from him.

The son of the sea narrowed his eyes, extending his will over his servants as Persephone stepped out of the prison.

The Hunt's guards reacted immediately, firing arrows at the now-free goddess.

Persephone frowned, a thick shield of shadows protecting her from the pesky arrows as she continued onward, coming face to face with the god who killed her husband.

Of course, she didn't know that.

Her eyes narrowed, "You. You look like a god, Perseus Jackson."

The son of Poseidon stayed silent, but as he reached for his belt, two hunting knives appeared in a pair of sheaths.

Persephone scowled, reaching out. Vines grew from the ground, wrapping around Percy's legs before blooming with pretty flowers.

Percy scowled back, focusing while he forced Persephone away from his skeletal servants, regaining dominion over their actions.

The Goddess of Spring waved her hand, and the Hunt's bows turned to flowers, but identical copies appeared on their backs.

Artemis stormed out of the tent, taking in the situation before drawing her knives silently.

The tension was palpable, and every eye was focused on the Queen of the Dead.

Well, most eyes. One pair was focused on her shackles, picking them with lockpicks formerly sewn into her clothes themselves.

Lyra scowled with effort, then the lock clicked and the handcuffs were off.

Silently, the werewolf escaped.

"Get back in the prison, Persephone." Percy ordered, his tone cold.

The goddess smiled, "I think not, Perseus Jackson."

"And I think we can force you back."

"Excuse me for saying, but you and what army? Even without my skeletons, I can escape still." Persephone, "Then I will find the one that killed my husband and gave _you_ his domains. After that, perhaps I'll take a vacation."

Percy laughed, "The army standing right behind you, of course."

Persephone snorted, "Please. As if I would fall for such a cheap-"

She was cut off mid-sentence from Artemis winding up and knocking her unconscious with the pommel of her right knife.

Artemis sheathed her knives, "I thought even you couldn't mess this up."

Percy scratched the back of his head, embarrassed, "Didn't you all put her in there? It looks like you did a bad job locking her up."

Artemis blushed, "Get on with it."

"As you wish, my lady."

Minutes later, the werewolves and Persephone were locked up. Most of them, anyways.

Lyra was missing.

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That night, Percy sat across from Artemis in her tent, "I still need to leave. As much as I've loved being with you, my presence will only make monsters attack more often. More than that, I can't trust myself here anymore. I've created so much trouble for you all."

Artemis looked at him impassively. She was no stranger to death and pain, but what Perseus did . . . that required some time to think on, for both of them, "Very well. Gather your things and leave."

Percy stood and bowed, partly out of respect, partly to hide the wetness gathering in his eyes, then spun and left.

This time, there was no going-away party, and after picking up his stuff, the god flashed away.

First he went to the Pack's own camp, and paced about, searching for tracks. Lyra's tracks, in fact.

He didn't find any; the werewolf was careful to hide her footsteps, if she even came back here.

So he disappeared again. He needed advice, and after this whole incident, he didn't want to go to Athena.

Besides, this particular god could help him in more than just creating a pseudo-Hunt.

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The Palace of the Sun was made of pure gold, and almost too bright to look at as Percy approached, squinting.

Apollo appeared right in front of him as the son of the sea stepped inside, "'Sup, cuz?"

"I need you help." Percy replied, obviously distraught.

Apollo frowned, "Come on in. I'll be right back."

The God of the Sun disappeared, and Percy could hear some high-pitched giggling as Apollo escorted several beautiful woman out, "Six thirty at the theater?"

The girls smiled brightly, and Percy saw one of them wink.

"So, you need my help?" Apollo asked, "Has my sister dumped you?"

"No . . . not really. This is more of a . . . serious thing." Percy said flatly, "You're supposed to be a god of reason, right?"

Apollo shrugged, "Sure I am. I just don't use it very often. Most people go to Athena."

"Yeah . . . I'd rather not right now. I need to form something like the Hunt on my own."

The god shrugged, "Well, first you need a name. Something catchy, like "Apollo's Girls."

"No. It'll be both genders, probably."

"What do you want this "Hunt" to do?" Apollo asked, opening the door to a sitting room and pulling up two chairs.

Percy shrugged, "Track down and fight monsters. Try to keep them down across America."

"Specifically. Artemis created the Hunt based off of her own skills and interests. So every Hunter shoots, tracks, and looks hot." Apollo smiled, "Wait . . ."

The God of the Dead shrugged, "I'm much better with a sword than anything else, but Greek and Roman styles are so different that I don't know where to begin."

Apollo stroked his chin, "True, true. The Greeks and Romans would tend to stick together. Why don't you instead train them in something none of them know."

"Like?"

"Horsemanship." Apollo stated, "You have some influence over horses, right?"

"Yes, but Greeks are trained to ride pegasai, and the Romans can fly giant eagles." Percy said.

"Then it should be easy for them to pick up. They'd need to get used to riding on land, and the wings wouldn't get in the way. Teach them to fight on horseback too, with lances and armor and the whole shebang."

"I don't know how, though." Percy shrugged, "I wasn't around for the Dark Ages."

"I can teach you the basics," Apollo replied, "then you can get Ares to teach you the rest. He'd love to pound you into the dirt a few times."

"Okay . . . how about getting people to join?"

"You're Perseus Jackson. People from both camps either know you in person, or heard stories. Trust me, put your name and the offer of immortality on a flyer and you'll have people begging to sign up." Apollo smiled, "Artemis'll get jealous, but who cares?"

"Then after that?"

"You teach them to fight and ride, then after they can work together, teach them to shoot." shrugged the god, "Easy. I'll help you."

"There's something else, too."

Apollo leaned forward, "Now, this sounds more fun."

"I want to become a good lover." Percy said, looking at the floor. "Can you teach me?"

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Apollo leaned back, "If you want to Artemis to love you, you have to know what she likes."

"She likes hunting. Should I-"

"No. Hunting's basically her job." the god shook his head, "If you can think of fifteen good things to do with her, I'll help you more. If you can't, then I'm not letting you be with my sister."

"I don't suppose you could give me any hints." Percy stated.

The God of the Sun shook his head again, "You've been around her for a long time. Either you know, or you don't care enough about her."

"Okay, then. Let's change the topic: How do you stay so cheery?" Percy asked, "I'm trying to keep positive, but . . . I've killed so much. There's so much evil, and I don't want to lose my head again."

Apollo sighed, "You can't let it weigh on you. Now you're different from everyone else. You're immortal; They aren't. If you care about a mortal, you'll watch them age and die. Why do you think we can't spend years with mortals? Because we'll be driven insane if we do. Find yourself some friends that won't die on you and stick with them."

"Is that the only thing I can do?"

The god nodded, "We're all hiding behind something. My brightness, Ares' bloodlust, Aphrodite's lust, Zeus' power . . . it's all just covering us up. Even Artemis."

"So I have to be cold and unfeeling? Like Hades?"

"Actually, Hades was the one among us who cared the most. Probably because he could feel it when people died, but . . . for him, death became his world. He tried to stop it from everyone he loved. He protected his children much more than Zeus or Poseidon ever did." said the god calmly, "He was never the same after World War Two."

"But why? Why didn't he bring them back?"

"Because he can't." Apollo stated, "More than that, what is life without death? Both Plague and Healing are my domains. The bitterness of death is what sweetens life. Without death, there would be no true life. Have you ever seen two monsters in love? Two _empousa,_ perhaps? A pair of Cyclopses or hellhounds?"

Percy blinked, "No."

"That's because they can't. Because they won't ever truly die, they won't ever truly love." Apollo shrugged, "It's because we gods love mortals that we _can_ still love."

"Okay . . . I'll have to think about this."

Apollo brightened up, "Why don't we get together later? Hit some clubs?"

Percy shook his head, "No, I . . . maybe next week."

"Sure."

Percy disappeared, flashing to his Underworld fortress.

Several hours of thinking later, he had unconsciously sat on Hades' throne, brooding as he felt power flow through him. He could feel the Underworld all around him, dark and menacing. There was no warm or cheery here.

It was just him and his dark thoughts.

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Percy, this time dressed in a glossy black suit, appeared at the doors with "AMAZON" etched in them.

The lobby was just as he remembered, and Kinzie was standing in the middle of the room.

"Percy!" Kinzie greeted, "You're here to buy something?"

"Yes, actually." Percy said, "I have a short list."

"Certainly. Take a form from the counter and fill it out, then I'll process the order."

The son of the sea nodded silently, taking the staples sheets of paper and summoning a black leather armchair. He fluttered his fingers and Riptide appeared in them, in pen form with the cap stuck on the back.

Percy filled it out slowly, reading all the small print, and checked off the "Hunter" box, along with the "Major God" one, and paper-clipped his credit card -obsidian black, with silver text- to it as well.

Another Amazon came from _somewhere -_ Percy had no idea where- and took it.

Kinzie's phone buzzed, and she scanned the screen before turning to Percy, "Queen Hylla Twice-Kill has summoned you."

Percy rose from the chair, which disappeared as soon as he left it, "Of course."

Kinzie turned, heading for a door in the back before Percy got her attention.

"Why go there when there's a much faster route . . . here?" Percy asked, kneeling down a pressing a finger into the floor. Something clicked, and another entrance yawned open.

"That's something else." Kinzie shrugged, but closed the door that Percy opened carefully and fully, "Follow me."

The son of the sea did so, his senses tingling as he felt the veritable hive of activity beneath his feet. Honeycombed passages leading to massive caverns. There was a massive city of Amazons underneath the surface, a modern labyrinth of twisting tunnels.

Kinzie led the way, but this time, Percy was allowed to keep his weapons. Not that he'd allow anyone to take them.

Once he was brought before Queen Hylla, he knelt slowly. After all, they could always refuse his purchase.

"I would like to grant you a token of my appreciation for releasing my people from the Underworld. And so, I offer you my hand in marriage." Hylla said softly.

Percy's head whirled -the book Athena had given him was of great help here, "While your offer certainly is generous and hard to turn down, I must refuse, though I appreciate the canniness of such an offer."

Hylla, for her credit, remained cool after her ploy failed, "Very well. Then this audience is concluded."

Percy bowed and turned away, Kinzie once again leading the way. They entered the lobby together, then Kinzie turned to him, "We'll have your order done in a week or so. Unless you want expedited shipping?"

Percy smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, "No, thank you."

He disappeared, going up to Olympus. Apollo's palace, specifically.

"Can you teach me how to fight on a horse?"

The sun god nodded, "'Course. Just a sec."

A while later, Apollo came from his palace, "Come with me."

He led the God of the Dead through Olympus, to a large field fenced off from the general populace.

Apollo whistled, and a beautiful white horse trotted out from a set of stables off to one side.

"Let's find a horse for you." Apollo said, flashing them both over, "See any you like?"

Immediately, voices filled his head, _Pick me, milord! No, me!_

 _Quiet._ Percy ordered, _Who thinks themselves worthy to be my mount?_

That sent a new chorus through the horses, and Percy paced down the line before he found one that seemed quieter, but strong and possessive of a quiet enthusiasm. It was beautifully built, light chestnut with dappled white patches.

It's ears perked up, _You have chosen me, milord?_

 _Call me Percy._ The god replied, opening the stall.

The horse bent front knee in a bow. _I am Balius, descended from Balius of Achilles._

 _I've seen his spirit._

Apollo came over with a saddle and bit, "You should put them on.

"Yeah." Percy smoothed the saddle-blanket over Balius' back, then cinched the saddle tight and inserted the bit as well, then smoothly mounted him.

"After me." Apollo instructed, walking out. Balius moved on his own, following the god.

Once outside, Apollo summoned a long wooden pole with a long metal point at the end. There was a bowl-shaped cross-guard near the non-pointy end, probably to stop his hand from sliding.

"See the strawman at the other end of the field?" Apollo pointed, "Keep your lance centered on it. Hold it loosely, too, and tighten your grip only a second before you hit."

Percy nodded, then patted Balius on the neck, then urged him into a gallop.

Balius' pace was smooth and even, and Percy lowered himself in his seat, keeping his lance pointed at the straw figure.

Fifty feet. Forty. Thirty. Twenty. Ten. Five.

The lance hit the figure solid _thunk_ , but the impact sent Percy tumbling off his mount. Apollo stood over him, chuckling as he gave Percy a hand, "Next time, use the stirrups and brace yourself."

"Stirrups?" Percy asked.

Apollo sighed, "These things. You put your feet in them. Footholds on a horse."

"Weird." Percy replied.

"They make mounting the horse a lot easier, too." said the god, "You wouldn't need them on a pegasus, but you're going to fight on horseback, you'll want them."

Percy awkwardly put his foot in a stirrup and hoisted himself up, but after sliding his other foot into the opposite one, it felt a lot more natural.

"Good. When you charge again, brace yourself so you don't go falling off again."

Percy nodded his ascent and trotted down to the other side of the field, then turned again. This time, Apollo was keeping pace on his own horse.

Balius leapt forward, determined to show the other horse who's boss, but Apollo's horse matched him.

Percy braced, his hand loose on the lance, but this time the angle went off as he braced himself, and the lance went right over the strawman's shoulder.

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By the end of the day, Percy was exhausted by proud. This was much, much easier to pick up than archery.

He led Balius back to the stable, and behind him, Apollo was doing the same to his own horse -Pheobus.

Afterwards, Apollo clapped him on the back, "Good day's work. What do you say we hit up a club with Hermes?"

"Nah, I'm taking a nap." Percy replied, yawning and flashing away.

His fortress in the underworld was cold and dark, but Percy's tent -which he put up in the throneroom- was bright and warm.

 _New Journal Entry 1_

 _I learned how to joust? Lance? One of them, anyways, with Apollo. He's fun to be around. There are worst people to be friends with for an eternity. He said we'd be moving on to an actual, sharpened lance and armor next week._

 _I'm still planning my ad for this . . . thing. But I still can't come up with a name for it. The Huntsmen would be fine, but I feel it's not good enough. The Cavalry? The Light Brigade? Percy's Guys and Girls? I also don't know how I should sort those who I want from those I don't. I want this place to be welcome to everyone, monsters included. Actually, I'm going to forbide "monster" in the camp. They can call them by their names, and either enemy in front or nothing at all. I should make it so if someone says dracaena, it's assumed to be allied, not enemy._

 _Still, I think this is good for a first entry. I'm looking back, and I'm glad I'm past all that._

 _To a brighter future._

* * *

 **A/N: Guess what? I need a name for the pseudo-Hunt. I'm currently going with the Huntsmen, but I'd like it to be non-gender specific.**

 **Please review, follow, favorite. I love the advice.**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: As usual, I have someone insulting me for no particular reason. Because next to killing the Fates, breaking the Ancient Laws is some big thing.**

 **The Hunt's Brother is currently in the lead, followed closely by The Court. Voting's still open.**

Chapter 26-

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 _New Journal Entry 226_

 _It's ready. Everything's ready. I'm bringing the Greeks and Romans together in two days, and I'm pretty sure I laid it all out. The training regime, the supplies, transportation, tents for everyone . . . I just hope I haven't missed anything._

 _Today, though, I need to head back to Chicago. Baccina -Athena- said there was something there. Anteiku, or something like that. I'll continue this when I get back._

Percy closed the journal and stood, flashing it away while his now-customary charcoal suit appeared around him. Try as he might, no longer could he summon the Hunter's uniform in silver. Black was the only color it could take.

There was a backroom in Alex's McDonalds that was empty most of the time, but when he appeared there, he wasn't alone.

A young Cyclops stumbled back in fear, bellowing.

"Hey." the god said, "I'm Percy."

The Cyclops scooted even further away. He was very, very young. Not larger than five feet tall.

"I swear on the Styx I'm not here to kill you." Percy sighed, "Unless you were stealing."

The Cyclops shook his head, "I work here."

"Alex must've brought you in to replace me." he replied, "Let me give you a hand up."

After a moment, the monster took his hand, and Percy pulled him up, "What's your name?"

"Vincent." The Cyclops boy said.

"That's a good name." Percy walked over to the shelves of various McDonalds bags and packaging, then turned away to face the industrial-sized freezer, "It's just about midday, so you probably need some more patties, right?"

Vincent nodded.

"Thought so. Catch." Percy tossed a big ole' bag of beef patties at the Cyclops and took another two himself, his McDonalds uniform replacing the black suit, "Let's go."

The Cyclops, still stunned, nodded and followed Percy as he fell back into the cycle of flipping burgers and cooking fries. Sethno was gone, too, but it looked like she'd been replaced.

It was during the mid-afternoon slump that Alex even realized Percy was there.

"How's the girl?" the werewolf asked bluntly, "And why're you back here?"

"It's . . . complicated." Percy winced, "Have you ever heard of something called Anteiku?"

Immediately, Alexios became guarded, his face unreadable, "Depends. Why're you asking?"

"I want to make something kinda like this," Percy gestured around the restaurant, "Somewhere where anyone, regardless of what they are, can work together."

Alex gave a short chuckle, "Nice thinkin', kid. Don't you think we've tried that? Someplace where we wouldn't have to keep under the radar?"

Percy's hands curled into fists, "I'll make it work. I can protect them from anything."

"What, you think it failed?" Alex chuckled, "No. Anteiku's getting along just fine. Seth'll be calling around soon. She'll show you."

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"So this is Anteiku?" Percy asked, staring up at the massive office building in front of him.

Seth nodded, slithering along next to him, "Alex ssssent me here two monthssss ago. I haven't worked there ssssince."

"So, what is it?"

"A tesssst. You ssssee?" asked the _dracaena,_ opening the doors. Standing behind a counter near the entrance was an old-looking Telkhine.

"Welcome to Anteiku." he said pleasantly, "I'm Jaffe, pleased to meet you."

"I'd like to set up an appointment with someone of authority." Percy replied.

"Of course. What is your name?" asked the elderly Telkhine, picking up a pen.

"Perseus Jackson."

The pen dropped, "Ah. Then, please follow the _dracaena_ to the top floor. Mr. Buros has set up an appointment in advance."

Sethno looked surprised for a minute before turning to the elevator, "Yessss, ssssir."

Percy followed the _dracaena_ to the elevator, where she pressed the very bottom button.

Eventually, the elevator stopped and Percy stepped out to see rows of offices. Seth led him through until he stood before a simple wooden door with the words "Dr. Elizabeth Dressen, CEO" on a plaque attached to it.

Seth knocked, and a voice beyond called out, "Enter!"

Percy was inside first, taking in the room. It was simple: A few chairs, a desk with a few scattered papers on it, a laptop sitting next to the papers, and a woman sitting behind the desk.

She was a series of averages: Average height, average weight, average beauty. Brown hair and brown eyes, dressed in a brown suit.

The CEO stood, reaching out a hand. It was only as Percy approached that he noticed the musky scent, and saw her canines were a little too long as she smiled.

Nonetheless, Percy shook her hand before stepping back.

"Please, Seth, return to work." said the _empousa_.

The _dracaena_ nodded and left.

"Perseus Jackson. It is an honor to meet you at last."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mrs. Dressen." Percy replied, drawing on Apollo's lessons on interacting with the fairer sex. Most of them he wouldn't be using, but they were applicable to many situations.

"Doctor Dressen, if you wouldn't mind." she said, "I'm afraid I'm married to my job."

"What do you do here, anyways?" Percy asked.

"We employ our kindred creatures and provide them a safe place to live, a place to thrive." Dr. Dressen stated, "Here, demigods, mortals, and what you would call "monsters" work side-by-side. Of course, for a long time I have suspected that the Olympians know we exist. Your presence seems to confirm that."

"As far as I know, only Athena and I know you exist. I would guess that Athena would be content to watch and see if this place succeeds or fails." Percy shrugged, "She told me I could find some allies here."

"You could. I do have a bit of a problem. Two of them, actually, that you may be able to alleviate." she said, standing. The awkward gait that usually afflicted _empousai_ was smoothed over from years of practice, it seems, "Three, come to think of it."

"What are they?"

"First, we seek to show ourselves to the gods. Show them that not all "monsters" wish only for flesh. You were quick to order the recognition and forgiveness of all the demigods; Is it not the time to extend such protection to demi-Titans and creatures as well?" she paused, "Secondly, we have a collection of our kindred who know only war, and have not fit in here, not for lack of trying on either side. This organization you are creating could be a place for them."

Percy's eyes widened, "How do you know?"

Dr. Dressen smiled, "I have people seeded in the ranks of the Amazons. They are, after all, our chief rivals, and we have heard of someone ordering large quantities of certain battle-related materials connected with your name."

"Oh. And your third problem?"

"There is a young woman who requested asylum with us. Normally, we wouldn't deny such a request, but she has made trouble for one of our subordinate franchises. She is also being pursued by a company of mortal mercenaries."

"I'll see what I can do." Percy said, "How does Alex tie into all this?"

"Mr. Buros? He is the head of our McDonalds franchise in this area. Normally, people are screened by working in our franchises and shops before being sent here, to weed out any deemed too belligerent or who cannot contain their appetites. Everyone in this experiment has a purpose, of course." answered the _empousa_ , "And all of us must suppress our tendencies."

"I didn't know _empousai_ could do that." Percy replied.

"We can, when we wish to. Most of the time, there is little that can distinguish me from any human, should I wear longer pants. I do let my excitement get the better of me occasionally, so my apologies for what you may have seen or smelt when shaking my hand."

Percy waved it away, "No worries. If I'm right about the young woman you mentioned earlier, I've had to resist her plenty of times."

Dr. Dressen smirked, "I'm sure. I take it I have your word that Sylia will not come to any harm? I knew her mother well."

"My solemn word."

"Then I will release her to your care."

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"Make yourself at home." Percy gestured to what he had turned the throne room into. It wasn't much of a throneroom anymore: Fires were crackling cheerfully all around, warming the place up. A few beds were placed just _around_ , along with TVs, gaming systems, computers, board games, straw dummies, a microwave and refrigerator . . . everything Percy needed.

Sylia looked around, taking it all in, "And I thought you couldn't get any messier."

Percy smiled, "This? I cleaned it up yesterday. Oh, and try not to seduce any of my servants while you're here."

"Tch." Sylia sighed, "We're safe here?"

"Beyond a doubt. This is, after all, my fortress."

"They've come down here before." said the _empousa_.

"I'll double the guard, but there's only one way in or out of here, and that's the front door." Percy shrugged, "No one can teleport in or out of here."

Sylia yawned, then started over to the nearest bed. As Percy turned away, her shirt fell over his eyes, and her skirt followed a moment later.

She was pulling her shenanigans again.

"Sylia?" Percy growled, shaking her clothes off.

"What? I'm tired." the _empousa_ curled up under the covers, and immediately drifted off into a deep sleep.

The god in the room sighed, then quietly slipped out. Once he was outside, skeletons crawled to the surface around him, and his journal appeared.

 _It turns out Anteiku was an office building where everyone worked. I got the feeling Dr. Dressen wasn't using the word "monster" as much as she could. I should try to mirror that -after all, how could I bring my people close together by calling some of them monsters? It won't work. Then there's Sylia._

 _Why does she have to be back in my life? I thought I was done with her. And now I can't even say the Fates were screwing with me!_

 _Bleh. Just bleh. Still, I'm glad to have at least one friend here._

With that, the journal disappeared and Perseus stood. The walls were brimming with troops, all armed and alert.

It was time for a nice, long nap.

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Sylia rose and stretched, still in the distinct lack of attire from the night before.

Percy was already up, focused on a computer. When the _empousa_ wrapped around him and pulled him tight against her chest, well, he was more than a little surprised.

But it wasn't unexpected.

Percy jerked away, falling flat on his back with Sylia on her hands and knees over him.

"Don't even think about it. This is the heart of my domain." Percy growled, taking a deep breath. Sylia's scent, intensely attractive, nearly drove him mad before he shoved the she-demon off, "Put some clothes on!"

She pretend-pouted, but Percy wasn't falling for that -not again, "But what should I wear?"

"I had Alecto get some outfits for you." replied the King of the Underworld, "Once you've changed, I'll start teaching you to ride."

"But I already know how to ride!" Sylia protested, entirely straight-faced.

"A horse." Percy clarified, turning back to his work while the _empousa_ changed without a even a trace of modesty. After all, they had already seen each-other with any arrangement of clothes on, or none at all.

"Done."

"Follow me." instructed the god, heading through the castle before opening the massive doors that led out. Once they were away from the fortress, Percy flashed them away. He had a rather large field in the countryside that he bought expressly for the purpose of teaching others how to ride.

Once he was there, he threw down a small rectangle of fabric -and a tent grew from it with a _bang_.

Inside were his own stables.

Percy led the _empousa_ inside and walked down the stalls until he got to a horse he knew was a bit smaller, but agile and nimble. Perfect for Sylia.

"Lead him outside. I'll get everything else."

The _empousa_ faced the horse and tugged on the lead, but the horse didn't move. In fact, it braced against her.

"Just walked away! He'll follow you!" Percy called back, gathering a saddle-blanket, saddle, and a bit.

Sylia tried that after another few fruitless tugs, and the horse obediently followed her.

Percy joined her on the field with all the necessary equipment, first smoothing the saddle-blanket over the horse's back before hefting the saddle up and laying on. He buckled it with practiced ease, then motioned to Sylia.

"Hop on. His name is . . . Bern, apparently." Percy invited.

Sylia, using the stirrup as a step-stool, swung herself into the saddle.

"Try to stay balanced. I'll lead Bern around until you're used to it."

Percy started walking, lead in his hand and the horse walking after him.

It was slow progress, but he eventually got Sylia trotting around the field on Bern's back. The god joined her on Balius, and they rode together.

Gradually, they got faster and faster, until they were both galloping along. Sylia was laughing as the wind spread her hair out behind her, and Percy was smiling at the companionship. It had been a while since he had any time to have fun. Or perhaps he was never motivated to have any.

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After long last, it was time for Percy to start his own band of Hunters. After much deliberation, he settled on "The Vanguard", or just "Vanguard". After all, they would be the foremost fighters against those who opposed Olympus, leading the way for the Camps.

It just made sense, really.

Taking a deep, settling breath, Percy disappeared.

To his surprise, there was a small crowd of people. Malcolm, Katie Gardener, Harley and Jake Mason, and more besides.

That's when he felt a cold hand on his shoulder, "It's been a while, Percy."

"Nico?" Percy turned to see him, along with Will Solace, "How've you been, Deathbreath?"

"Better than most, I suppose. Now that my father's gone, I've had enough of his lies and manipulation." Nico replied.

"And I came along for the ride." Will shrugged, a beaming grin on his face, "So, what're we doing?"

"Well, I have some people Camp Jupiter, then I'll start training you all." Percy announced.

"Then let's go. What are we waiting for?" Jake asked, "We're all here."

Percy smiled, "It's good to see you all again. Gods, I've missed this place."

He disappeared, this time with a mixed force of Greeks and even a few Satyrs.

The sight that greeted his next was much more orderly. Lines of armed and armored Romans stood before him, and leading them was a former legionnaire who just got out of college. But this time, he felt . . . different. Now he wore a toga, black of course, and his entire mind felt off.

"Hiyah!" Gwendolyn said, "We're here to join up."

"Great. How has college suited you?" Perseus asked, concentrating to turn his toga back into something more comfortable.

"It's good, but I've missed this." the former-centurion shrugged, then turned to the assembled Romans, "Micheal?"

One of them, who Perseus recognized as Micheal Kahale, stepped forward, "FALL IN!"

"You are all assembled?" inquired Perseus, and once they nodded, he disappeared again. This time, to an open field.

Away from all the Romans, his form changed back to Greek.

"Hey, y'all! First off, no honorifics or sirs or whatever. Just call me Percy, or Perseus." the god ordered, "I had a speech for this, but I can't seem to remember it . . ."

The assembled demigods, legacies, and Satyrs chuckled.

"Still, I remember some of the important bits. I wanted to start this for everyone who shared my beliefs. Do good. Stop evil. All that stuff. But now there are others who want to join, who are tired of fighting for the Titans." Percy announced, "They are "monsters."

Some of them gasped, some remained silent.

"They believe the same things we do. They want to stop dieing for people who don't care about them. We can _all_ sympathize with that. Years ago, I used my wish from the gods to pardon everyone who betrayed the gods. Now I'm extending that pardon to any so-called monsters who want to join. So, from now on, no one will use the word "monster" in my presence. If you want to join me, you have to agree to this."

Now there were definitely mutters in the crowd.

Percy sighed, "I've lost people to them. We all have. But they've lost to us, and they want to stop losing. If we can't give them this, we'll just fight them forever. Do you want to next generation of demigods to deal with another Titan War just because we can't forgive a few of them?"

The muttering increased until someone stepped forward.

"No!" Nico said, "We can't. I wanted to turn to the Titans last time. I didn't trust any of the gods, and I hate my father. But I trust Percy, and if he says this can work . . . then can't you?"

Will stepped forward, next to Nico and added his support.

Jake was next, "We all thought we'd have to destroy the dragon, but Leo fixed it up. We can fix this, too. Right?"

"Yeah!" Harley came out too, along with Nyssa and Shane.

Gradually, everyone moved over.

"Good. I'll go get them." Percy flashed away, returning shortly after with an assortment of fifteen assorted _dracaenae_ , Cyclopses, and Telkhines. At their lead was Sylia, who promised not to seduce anyone. Not the first night, at least.

Nico, again, was the first to step forward, "I'm Nico."

A Cyclops, dressed in a polo shirt and jeans with a pair of glasses framing brown eyes, took it gently, "Steven."

Percy came up to a Telkhine, "Hey. What's your name?"

"Clyde. You used to be one of Alex's, right?" he asked, "I was too."

"Percy. Good to meet you." the god leaned in, wrapping one arm around the Telkhine, and pulled him into a hug.

The dog-seal-man froze first, shocked, then returned the hug. All around him, other greeting were taking place as well. Most of the male gender were quite eager to extend the god's greeting to Sylia, but they were doomed to disappointment.

Once it was all said and done, Percy did a quite headcount: sixty-three.

He made sure to prepare for many more people than he actually expected to show up, so the god had mounts for all of them.

One by one, Percy gave them each horses to get the feel for. The Cyclopses had the strongest breed, of course, and they were the most clumsy. While they all laughed the first few times Steven hit the floor, they laughed even harder when Will comically -and catastrophically- failed at mounting the beast.

Eventually, Percy led them all to trot around the rolling hills the god chose for the first time. The ground was soft and cushioning, but not soft enough that the horses lost their footing.

The first day, all they did was follow Percy around on their horses, getting used to their gait as opposed to a pegasus or Giant Eagle.

Besides, the horses were all well motivated to keep their riders on their back. Percy promised them all a couple of great rewards.

But as the day wore on, everyone started to get a little bored -and that couldn't be had.

"Attention!" Percy called, his voice booming with the power of the gods, "First one to catch me wins!"

The Cyclopses were the first ones to fall behind -unaccustomed to their mounts and heavy to boot. The Greek demigods seemed to have the advantage over Roman ones, used to riding pegasi.

Sylia was the fastest, her mount -Bern- was faster than Balius, but Percy's skill as a rider was superior.

The Telkhines seemed to be doing well in the saddle, their flipper legs clinging to the horse in a sure grip -somehow. Meanwhile the _dracaenae_ had seemed to wrap their snake legs around the horse's midsection, and that kept them balanced easily.

Smiling slightly, Percy brought Balius around in a tight turn, "Catch me if you can!"

The Greeks made the turn clumsily, though Sylia's mount scampered around with ease.

The Romans had a tougher time of it, and quite a few of them crashed to the ground. After they fell, they didn't seem very motivated to get up again.

 _Everyone, breath through your mouths!_ Percy called out to the horses, then flashed a few very, very special arrows into his hands. Trusting Balius to keep him straight as he turned, breaking off the arrowheads and throwing them with unerring accuracy.

Sylia barely ducked away, but the Greeks behind her were immersed in a cloud of stink. Fart arrows were really fun.

In the end, no one caught him. No one even came close before the sun went down and Percy gathered them all again, lighting a massive fire and summoning food for them all.

"Well, this's been so far." Percy announced, "Anyone want to lead us in some campfire songs?"

Will Solace stood, and seemed to produce a lyre from nowhere, and took a breath,

"Down by the Aegean, I was drawn by your sword . . ." started the son of Apollo, and the rest of the Greek campers joined in. Everyone else did too, after recognizing the tune.

It was a fun evening.

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" _I, Perseus Jackson, swear to uphold virtue, to protect the world against anyone who wishes it harm. I welcome the friendship of all and the enmity of none, and join the Vanguard._ " Percy recited, and the rest of them copied them.

Some eighteen asked to leave over the course of the last week, dropping their number to forty-five members. But the rest of them were all here to stay, and it was time to recognize that.

As they finished the oath, Percy could feel strength pouring into him as the connection was made. Then he reversed the flow, giving them all his power.

One by one, dark auras gave off from each of his Vanguard.

Micheal Kahale flexed, his already insane biceps giving off a little more, "I could get used to this."

Gwen drew her _gladius,_ giving it a few experimental stabs, "This is good."

Will, on the other hand, was more interested in something. The son of Apollo strung his bow, then sent an arrow humming into a falling leaf a hundred meters away, "That's . . . that's cool."

"So, yeah." Percy called out, "I don't exactly what'll happen, but I'd guess you can talk to horses. Maybe summon a few skeletons. This is my first time with all this, too. In the meantime, get a good night's sleep."

In the meantime, Nico, Malcolm, Gwen, Micheal, Steven, and Clyde all met in Percy's tent -the gods himself was present, of course.

"So, how's everybody adjusting?"

Malcolm shrugged, "Most of us came because we didn't have anyone to go back to, after all the wars. It's coming along."

"Everyone I know is doing fine." Gwen said, "Proud to serve a former praetor and Olympian."

Steven adjusted his glasses, "I have a feeling some of us want to strangle the _empousa_ , but that can't be helped."

"We'll all have to adjust." Percy sighed, "I'll talk to her again. Short of putting her in handcuffs, I don't know what else to do about the scent."

"It's a lot stronger to us." Clyde added, "Better noses. The _dracaenae_ are immune, and Annabel, but not the rest of us."

"Annabel is the female Telkhine, right?" Percy confirmed, "Sorry. Still learning everyone's names."

Clyde nodded.

"I believe we must continue down the path of acceptance and integration." Malcolm said, "While accepting Telkhines, _dracaenae_ , _empousai,_ and Cyclopeses is certainly progress, we must eventually get rid of those classifications as well. Greek and Roman are other classifications that divide us as well."

"True." Nico leaned forward, "I've been an outsider because I'm a son of Hades. My parentage led to my worst mistakes. We can't let that happen, either."

"We have an eternity to do this." Percy pointed out, "Let's take it slow. Most of us have never met before, after all. Is that everything?"

Everyone nodded.

"Then let's get to sleep." suggested the god, but once everyone else left Nico pulled him aside.

"Tomorrow, can you teach me how to shoot?"

"I can try." Percy shrugged, "It isn't something you can learn quickly, and we won't have much time day-to-day. Why?"

Nico -dare he say?- flushed, "Nothing. I just want to."

"Why not ask Will?" asked the God of the Underworld.

"Reasons." answered the demigod.

Percy crossed his arms, "I won't let you until you tell me. If you two broke up-"

"No. Just . . . reasons. Please?"

The god sighed, "Fine."

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Artemis barely entered her tent when she felt something . . . off. After everything that had transpired, the goddess -wisely- asked Liliana to upgrade the security on all the tents. Nothing should be able to go in or out without permission.

Something was there, though. A dark presence, so dark that the goddess summoned her knives just to be on the safe side. The outfit she chose for her first official "date" -a modest turquoise blouse and black jeans- disappeared under her usual uniform.

"Whoa, I come back and all I get are knives point at me?" Percy asked, standing up.

Artemis smiled, and the knives disappeared, "How did you get in? Even gods can't flash in here."

"I shadow-traveled. Nico told me that, when you shadow-travel, you don't actually cover the distance in between." Percy shrugged, "Ready to go?"

He, on the other hand, was dressed less conservatively. A black shirt with a flaming skull was under a leather jacket with a helmet picked out in silver studs decorating the back. A silver belt buckle with a similar helm emblem and a pair of black jeans completed his outfit.

Artemis nodded, stiffening a little as the blouse and jeans re-appeard.

Percy took her hands, rubbing them a little, "Hey, relax. It's just a date."

The chaste goddess nodded, relaxing just the slightest bit.

"If my hand goes anywhere you don't want it, you can always cut if off. Right?" Percy asked, grinning.

Artemis cracked a smile, "The Hunters are probably waiting outside with cameras."

"Who says they'll get a shot?" Percy led the goddess forward, and as they were almost at the flap, the god and goddess sunk into the shadows.

They stepped out in an alleyway near a movie theater, where _Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens_ , was showing.

Percy led the way as Artemis looked around in wonder at the various posters and the crowds of people.

"Tickets reserved for Jackson?" asked the former demigod, stepping up to the clerk.

"Perseus Jackson?"

"The same."

"Here you are." the clerk, a woman in her early thirties, "Have a nice show!"

Percy practically dragged Artemis through the ticket collector, whom she was eyeing with open suspicion.

"Want to get some popcorn?"

"Pop . . . corn?" Artemis asked.

"Wow, you don't get inside much, do you?" Percy grinned, "I'll get some. See the numbers? Go to eleven, I'll meet you there."

Artemis nodded, and headed off. She kept quite a distance from any males, and allowed herself only a little closer to women.

Percy sighed, getting popcorn and two drinks for the movie.

When he got to theater eleven, Artemis was already there and eyeing every male who passed with distrust.

"Let's go in. It should be starting in a few minutes." said the son of Poseidon, startling his date.

Artemis, once she realized who he was, looked around, "How are there so many mortals?"

"People. Not mortals. We're im public." Percy whispered into her ear, gently guiding her in, "We people have a way of growing in number. Besides, this is nothing. You should go to Comic-Con sometime."

"Comic-Con?"

"It's where everyone dresses up as superheros and get together. It's fun. Or, at least, that's what Dakota said." Percy scanned the theater for open seats, then led Artemis to about halfway up and center.

"Dakota?"

"The Centurion." answered the god, "Of the Fifth."

"I didn't recognize the name."

"I gathered. Have you seen a movie before?"

"A few. Thalia introduced them to us." Artemis answered.

"I think you'll like this one." Percy replied, then stuck out the paper bag he was carrying, "Popcorn?"

Artemis cautiously took one out, and sniffed it, then tasted it, "Salty."

"You'll be fine. They aren't poisoned or anything." Percy chuckled.

Artemis turned red, then ate the kernel.

"More?"

The goddess took a handful, and ate them one by one as the lights dimmed and the Star Wars theme drifted from the speakers . . .

* * *

 **A/N: If any of you read the Son of Leto, please answer me this:**

 **Would you mind if I cut out The Past entirely? I don't feel like they contribute anything I couldn't say in an in-character conversation, and they slow down the story.**

 **Please review -I desperately need the feedback.**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: I hate to end it like this . . . but I did. On another note, I've posted the prologue to The Son of Leto.**

Chapter 27-

* * *

"How can the "lightsabers" not have crossguards?" Artemis asked as they left the movie, "Do they expect the blades to just stick togther?"

Percy shrugged, "They did just that in the movie, it looks like. What's the point of having a metal crossguard if your sword could cut through it in less than a second?"

"Then they could make it out of the same "light" material. Like that Ren person." pointed out the goddess.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask Athena? I'm sure she could give you a nice essay that explains everything."

Artemis -almost too quickly- said, "No, it's fine."

Percy smirked, "Are you sure? I have a drachma right here . . ."

"I'm sure." answered the Lady of the Hunt, "How has your "Vanguard" been?"

"Quite good, actually. Most of them can ride and at least _hold_ a lance without falling off." Percy shrugged, "I'm teaching a few of them to shoot, but I'm still adjusting to firing on horseback."

"I can give you a few pointers on that." Artemis replied, turning, "Why did you decide on cavalry, anyways?"

"I got some sage advice that learning something completely new would bring everyone closer together, and Greeks and Romans have already done some riding."

"From who?"

"Your brother, actually." answered the King of the Underworld.

"That _does_ seem like him." murmered Artemis.

Percy looked at her strangely, "It surprised me. I didn't think he was that much smarter than anyone else."

"He isn't, really. He knows people well -better than me. And I have to keep him from getting a swelled head about it." Artemis smiled nastily, "I'm much better than him in everything else, though, so don't get any ideas."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Deer Girl." Percy smiled back.

The goddess looked at him, "Deer Girl?"

"Don't like it?" asked the son of Poseidon, "Thalia's called me Kelp Head ever since she met me?"

She considered it, "No . . . it's been a long time since anyone's given me a nickname. Other than Apollo, that is."

"Then it's long overdue. Why do some of your Hunters call you "my lady" and others just call you "Artemis?" questioned Percy.

"To some, like Zoë Nightshade, came from a time when calling someone "my lady" or "my lord" was a mark of the highest respect. It isn't nearly that important now." Artemis said.

That was when a small group of burly and nasty-looking men came out of the alleyway ahead, armed with an assortment of knives and bats.

The biggest and nastiest came forward, leering at Artemis, "Look who we have out for a stroll, boys. The girl's got some goods."

Artemis narrowed her eyes, then Percy put a hand on her shoulder, "You shouldn't dirty your hands with these guys."

The big one chuckled, "Yeah, that's right. Let us men handle things, pretty girl."

He got a closer look at Percy's jacket and scowled, "You're with the Helms?"

"That's a good thing, right?" Percy asked.

"Yeah. Good for us." the big guy cracked his knuckles, putting on a pair of spiked brass knuckles, "We hate the Helms, don't we?"

"YEAH!" the ones behind him shouted, "Let's break 'em up!"

Percy sighed, his hand coming up. Skeletons climbed from the ground all around them, forming a wall of bone and metal against the gang of eight or nine people.

It was almost comically how badly the mortals lost, and Percy's skeletal forces threw them to their knees in front of the god and goddess.

"What should we do with them, Deer Girl?"

Artemis looked down at them, "They're not worth our time. Throw them back to whatever filth they came from."

Percy grinned, and the skeletons picked the mortals up, throwing them back into the alley as the immortals kept walking, as if the gangsters were nothing but a fly they just swatted.

"The Helms?" Artemis asked.

Percy winced, "Yeah . . . last time we were in town, we made a bit of a name for ourselves. You know how the Mist hides anything weird?"

"Usually."

"Well, our horses looked like motorcycles, and those guys thought we were on their turf." Percy shrugged, "They cornered Steven, so we all went after him. One thing led to another, and their leader ended up falling off a building."

"Steven?"

"One of my people. A Cyclops half-brother of mine. I'm not supposed to know, but he and his kindred all agreed the second night never to kill any mortals without my permission." Percy shrugged, "He shouldn't have bothered with monsters like those guys back there."

Artemis looked at him strangely, "Those weren't monsters."

"Of course they are. I'm calling things what they _are_. People like them, whether human or not, are monsters."

The goddess looked away sadly, "I should have tried that sooner. Now, though, the Hunt has lost too much to ever accept anyone they've called monster again."

"Maybe I can change their minds. What if I told you there was a place where hundreds of intelligent creatures were all working, living, and laughing together?"

"I expected it." Artemis answered, "After all, how else could you find a band of battle-hardened monst . . . creatures who were willing to fight alongside demigods?"

"True. Where are we going, anyways?" Percy asked, looking around. They were in Chicago -that's where the theater was, at least- and he actually recognized the buildings around him.

"I thought you were leading us."

"Oh. You hun-" He was cut off by a fusillade of gunfire from the buildings all around him.

Percy reacted first, disappearing with Artemis somewhere, anywhere. He groaned as blinding pain erupted all along his body -even with his godly speed and reaction times, he got one or two bullets in the side. The metal rounds promptly disappeared, the holes closing as Percy blacked out from the pain and shock.

It didn't look like Artemis got hit, and the goddess looked at him with concern before disappearing.

The son of Poseidon got up, with a horrible feeling as to where she went. He disappeared, flashing back -but it was already almost over. Mortal gunmen were hanging out of windows, arrows sticking out of them. Others were slumped on the ground, blood flowing from deep cuts as Artemis stalked forward, glaring at the last one.

"Who sent you?"

The mortal mercenary spat, "I'm not afraid of you. Fucking gods . . . you want to know? Two blocks west. Knock yourself out."

The mercenary, a hardened woman in her thirties, slumped to the ground as Artemis' knife sprouted from her throat.

"Wait!" Percy shouted as Artemis turned, about to flash away.

She turned, "What? I'm not letting _these_ people hurt you."

"I know. But these aren't your regular mortals." Percy knelt, picking up a rifle and -after some experimenting- ejected the magazine, "Look. Stygian Iron bullets. They were prepared."

"Why were they after you?"

Percy winced, "Another part of my past. When I was away at McDonalds, I met an _empousa_ who's mother and Prometheus hired these guys to do a job but didn't pay -tried to kill the mercenaries, actually. So they went after the _empousa_ , and I was her friend."

"Tried to?" questioned Artemis, "Prometheus couldn't do it?"

"Apparently not. He sent her mother and another _empousa_ , Kelly, to kill their leader, Jonas. Jonas defeated them both."

Artemis scowled, "I've fought Kelly before. Stay here -I promise I'll be careful."

Percy put a hand on her shoulder, "Come back, alright?"

"Please, like I needed to be told that." Artemis smirked and disappeared.

The god sighed and took a seat. The Goddess of Hunting would take care of it.

He didn't have to wait long.

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Artemis returned with her hands and knives covered in gore, which she promptly cleaned up, "I'm done."

"Oh, good. I was getting hungry." Percy replied, standing, "Why don't I get you the best burger's you'll ever have."

The god could imagine Apollo shouting at him -You take my sister on a first date, and you give her _burgers_?

"Why not?"

"It's just a few miles away." said the god, taking her hand. They both disappeared, stepping out of an alley and pushing inside.

"Percy!" Alex boomed, "And is this a girlfriend I see?"

Percy sighed -perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. But it was too late to reconsider.

"Clyde! Get the cloth!" the owner ordered, "Jessica! Table for two!"

"Alex, you shouldn't-"

"Nonsense! Your brought her here –we need to show her the greatness of this fine establishment." Alex's burly, imposing form brooked no argument.

Clyde the Cyclops boy came back with a plastic tablecloth as Jessica -a clear-sighted mortal- moved a table and two chairs.

Alex himself came over with two cheap, disposable menus in mockery of a fine dining restaurant.

"Water for you two? Or wine?"

"When did you start keeping wine here?" Percy demanded.

Alex had a twinkle in his eye, "Oh, a few weeks ago. I knew you'd come along sometime with your date."

Artemis, meanwhile, looked at him suspiciously, "A werewolf?"

"Yeah?" Alex asked.

"The Pack didn't like him after he fell in love with a mortal girl -they don't believe mates should be exclusive to one." Percy explained, "He was thrown out for protecting her."

"I . . . see." Artemis murmured, looking at the werewolf in new light.

"So, what'll ya have?" the werewolf said, turning to the goddess first.

"A Big Mac. No mayo or ketchup. And a small fries." Artemis said.

"Ok-ay." Alex said, writing it down, "Percy?"

"The usual, please."

"Righto." the werewolf sped away.

"They're good people." Percy said, "Sethno was the one who put the idea in my head in the first place. She was a employee who left a while ago."

"I didn't think they were capable of this . . . All I've known them to do is kill."

"And all we've done is kill them." Percy replied, "What must they think of us?"

"Nothing good."

"But here's Alex, formerly part of the Pack, serving us with a smile on his face." the god murmured, "The world's changing. We can either meet it or get left behind."

"Zeus won't like this."

"He can't challenge it if I convince the majority of the council. I'm confident that Hermes, Apollo, Triton, and Hephaestus would support this. If you and Hestia join, we could do this." Percy said, then shook his head, "Sorry. I shouldn't be talking about this on a date."

Far above and away from them, Aphrodite frowned. It started out so well, but now they were just eating and talking.

"Has it happened yet?" Hera asked, stepping out next to the goddess.

Aphrodite shook her head, then saw the werewolf returning with a bottle of wine, "Ooh, this could get interesting."

The two goddesses watched as Artemis and Percy talked. Most of the time, Aphrodite and Hera were at odds -but this, Hera's gift to Perseus when he was made a god, they could agree on.

As the wine bottle grew emptier, both Artemis and Perseus lost more of their inhibitions, and Aphrodite looked closer.

"It's finally happening!" Aphrodite said happily.

Hera scowled, "You had no hand in this. Swear it."

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "I swear I didn't do anything to those two that wouldn't happen normally."

The Queen of the Gods appeared satisfied, "Hecate."

The torch-holding goddess appeared, bowing, "I am here."

"Be ready. We will have precious little time to do this." Hera commanded. The three of them were waiting for something -not for the god and goddess to consummate their relationship, but rather a single thought of Artemis.

In the world of mortals, Percy helped Artemis to her feet, "It's late. We should get back."

Artemis stood, a little unsteady. Percy wasn't exactly in tip-top form either, but neither of them were drunk.

Percy shadow-traveled them both away, to his bachelor pad in the Underworld. With his entry, the fireplaces sprung to life again, warming them up.

Artemis was nearly asleep as Percy guided them both to a large bed, where they both collapsed.

"I love you, Artemis." Percy said softly, brushing her hair out of her eyes before slumping.

"I love you too, Percy." murmured the goddess as she drifted off as well.

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Hecate fell back, exhausted, and Aphrodite didn't look the best either.

Hera slumped back, "Children these days . . . no stamina."

But their work was done. Artemis had decided to give up her maidenhood -without prompt intervention, the Hunt would disintegrate without her holding it together.

The trio of goddesses solved that particular problem. In those moments, they reforged the bonds between the Hunters and their lady. No longer based on virginity, but respect and approval of her and Percy's relationship.

Hera closed her eyes, falling asleep knowing this -an unbreakable devotion unseen since Odysseus and Penelope- was done.

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The next day, late at night, Percy cracked open his eyes to see Artemis cuddled against him.

As he tried to get up, her arms tightened, "Don't leave."

Percy eased back, feeling her warmth, "No. I'm tired of leaving you."

"Then stay here." murmured the goddess.

"I'll stay with you forever." Percy promised softly, holding the goddess who had done so much for him close.

"You'd better." Artemis whispered, "I'm tired of losing you, too."

"Then let's be together. For eternity."

Artemis closed her eyes, "Together."

* * *

 **Happy Ending (July 28, 21:10)**


	28. Ending AN

**A/N: There could be a sequel in time, though I wanted this sudden ending because 1) none of you would see it coming, 2) because I wanted to give this story the ending it deserved, and 3) because I wanted to finish it before I got bored with the storyline. Better a rushed end then a crappy one.**

 **There were a few loose ends, but most of them were tied up. The Vanguard is working together, and Sylia is safe now that the mortal mercenaries are dead -she's smart enough to keep her head down around Artemis. However, I also wanted to leave some things for me to do in a potential sequel.**

 **What Hera, Aphrodite, and Hecate were doing is something you'll discover in the sequel.**


	29. Help!

**A/N: I'd like to beg a favor of all of my readers: Can you answer me a question?**

 **Are you aware that the scientific consensus regarding GMO foods is that GMO foods are no less healthy than 'organic' foods, and have in no way been connected to any illness that afflicts humans?**

 **School project, and I'd like your help to just say 'yes' or 'no'.**


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